PHOENIX — Friday is the 35th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Living the Dream Celebration.
The event will recognize leaders who have gone above and beyond to be champions in the community.
ABC15 spoke with this year’s recipient of the Calvin C. Goode Lifetime Achievement Award, Harry Garewal.
The award is named after the longtime Phoenix city councilman and vice mayor, who passed away in December at the age of 93.
“I was really looking forward to having a conversation with him today,” Garewal said, noting that he and Goode crossed paths numerous times in life.
Garewal helped drive economic development to south Phoenix, served as President of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and spent 14 years on the governing board for the Phoenix Union High School District.
“When I got elected as school board member for Phoenix Union that was under desegregation order,” Garewal said. “I worked with Mr. Goode to make sure our students, our kids that were minority or from low socioeconomic communities received the same benefits.”
That push to bring communities together still rings true today. Along with Garewal, four other members of the community will receive the Living the Dream Award.
“Community icons that have obviously exhibited their service to the community,” said the event chair, Ron Williams.
This year’s event is being broadcast virtually. Williams says they will continue honoring Dr. King’s legacy safely and with purpose.
“Dr. King proposed love and togetherness, so I see that as Dr. King’s legacy has lived on and it’s evident today,” Williams said.
To view the event and to learn more about the celebration, click here.
