Youngsters were ready to dance, speak and even mime in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday at Fair Street International Baccalaureate World School in Gainesville.

Annette Woods, the program director for the inaugural event, said the purpose of the program was to get youth more involved in the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

“Every year the Newtown Florist Club sponsors the Martin Luther King march and program afterwards, and this is going to be the 40th year that they’re doing it, so we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we got the young people more involved?’” Woods said. “So we thought we would let them do their own tribute and celebration in honor of Martin Luther King.”

Woods said she believes it is important for kids to learn more about Martin Luther King so they can remember the struggles of previous generations and have the opportunity to learn from past and be better in the future.

Woods said holding the program at Fair Street gives the students “something constructive to do.”

“It gives them an opportunity to learn; it gives them the opportunity to work together and work on different skills,” Woods said. “Most of the youth that are here today that are going to be participating will be in groups so they have to show unity in doing that.”

The florist club’s annual celebration expanded this year with Sunday’s tribute. Newtown will continue the festivities today with a march starting at 1:30 p.m. at SunTrust Bank at E.E. Butler Parkway, with participants walking to Fair Street school.

Brittany Perry, a student at Gainesville State College, was at the Sunday event with her step team from New Harvest Ministries in Lawrenceville.

Perry said it is important to participate in community events such as this so we can remember our history.

“It is the foundation that we stand on,” said Perry, who said young kids should learn about historical events because “they need to know where we come from and what our purpose is here on this earth.”

Shalia Campbell, a mime instructor for St. John Baptist Church in Gainesville, was at the event with St. John’s mime praise team and dance praise team, both of which were performing Sunday.

Campbell said events like the tribute are a “safe outlet” for young kids.

“It is something where they can actually see that we are all one people — there is no color, no race or anything,” Campbell said. “We all get along with one another and fellowship with one another.”