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Denny's Partners With The King Center To Reach Out To The Nation's Youth
Denny's Partners With The King Center To Reach Out To The Nation's Youth
Published 10-27-04
Submitted by Denny's
The purpose of the program is to engage youth through a wide array of interactive learning modules, including computer-based activities and volunteerism, which encourage youth to practice nonviolence and to pursue a life of service to others. The program is based on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s six core principles of nonviolence and six steps to nonviolent social change, such as information gathering and education to winning friendships and nonviolence as a way of life.
"Dr. King believed in choices, and today we have the same opportunity to choose between chaos or community," explains Ray Hood, chief diversity officer for Denny's. "Denny's supported this project because we believe in its approach to resolving conflict and building better, stronger communities. We wanted this hands-on, Web-based learning experience to be made available to the widest possible audience and expect hundreds of thousands of youth nationwide to benefit from its positive messages."
To fund the "Realizing the Dream: Nonviolence or Nonexistence®" program, Denny's donated 20 cents from the sale of each of its popular All-American Slam® breakfast entrées to The King Center. To date, Denny's has far exceeded its $1 million goal to support the creation of this program.
The program initially will be launched in October with the youth organization Hands on Atlanta. The three-to-six-week program will be made available nationwide in 2005.
"We must begin to convince our young people that you don't have to carry a gun to change history," said Mrs. Coretta Scott King, founder of The King Center and wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "This program focuses on my husband's mission of service to humanity as a means for beginning the process that results in a universal commitment to nonviolence. To me, it represents the realization of his dream."
The "Realizing the Dream" program is devoted to emphasizing the relevancy of Dr. King's teachings to youth, and helping them to understand how important and truly current Dr. King's teachings are today. It is open to youth organizations across the country. Materials will be provided to individual youth organizations willing to commit a minimum of three-to-six-weeks to the program. The weekly curriculum includes lessons on Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement, the six principles and six steps in Kingian Nonviolence, and applying Kingian Nonviolence in real-world situations.
Denny's and The King Center created the "Realizing the Dream: Nonviolence or Nonexistence®" program as an opportunity to encourage children and young adults to become aware of the impact they can have on the world around them. More information on the program, as well as local community service opportunities, can be found at www.thekingcenter.org.
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About Denny's
Denny's is America's largest full-service family restaurant chain with more than 1,600 locations in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Guam, Mexico, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. The company's stock is traded under the ticker "DNYY," and additional information is available on Denny's Web site at www.dennys.com.
About The King Center
Established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The King Center is the official living memorial to the life, work and philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Center attracts more than 650,000 visitors who tour the home where Dr. King was born; visit The King Center's Freedom Hall complex and Ebenezer Baptist Church; and pay respect at his final resting place. For additional information, visit www.thekingcenter.org.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: (and see below)
Robert Vickers (rvickers@thekingcenter.org)
The King Center 404-526-8946
