The YMCA of Greater Monmouth County invites the community to gather on January 12 to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King at its 35th memorial breakfast honoring the civil rights icon.

The celebration will take place at the Ocean Place Resort & Spa, 1 Ocean Blvd, in Long Branch.

This year’s event will feature keynote speaker Maysa Akbar, Ph.D., the chief diversity officer and chief of psychology in the public interest at the American Psychological Association.

Awards will be presented to community honorees whose work reflect Dr. King’s principles: Suzy Dyer, executive director of the Parker Family Health Center in Red Bank; Ritesh Shah Charitable Pharmacy, founded by Ritesh Shah; and Kelly Ellis-Foster, a dedicated supporter of the Y’s volunteer initiative, Togetherhood.

Additionally, the two winners of the Y’s Annual Dr. King Essay Contest will present their essays.

The commemorative event will begin with registration at 7 a.m., followed by breakfast at 7:30 and the MLK program will start at 8.

More information is available at https://ymcanj.org/mlk.