The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration event, entitled, “Music: Our MLK Jr. Dream by Song” to be held on Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of national Martin Luther King Day. The 2015 event will be held at the East Somerville Community School auditorium (50 Cross St.) beginning at 11 a.m., and will include performances by the Somerville High School World Percussion Ensemble, El Sistema Somerville Youth Orchestra, MLK Jr. Somerville Interfaith Choir, SheBoom, the Center for Arabic Culture Children’s Choir, the Somerville High School Dance Club, and the first official appearance by Somerville’s first-ever Poet Laureate, Nicole Terez Dutton. The event is free and open to the public.

Additionally, the American Red Cross will join the City of Somerville and MLK Jr. Day Committee for the third annual “Day of Service” and blood drive at the East Somerville Community School. The American Red Cross mobile unit will be stationed outside of the school from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. To make an appointment, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767), or visit redcrossblood.org. Attendees are also encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for the event’s Food Drive for local food pantries as part of the Day of Service.

The event is organized in cooperation with the City of Somerville Health and Human Services Department, Somerville Public Schools, the Somerville Human Rights Commission, the Somerville Commission for Women, Naveo Credit Union, and Winter Hill Bank.For more information, please contact Director of the Office of Somerville Commissions Sonja Darai at 617-625-6600 ext 2406, or SDarai@somervillema.gov.