Hawks to host Houston on MLK Day, several special events scheduled for before and after

Mon, 01/16/2006 - 2:05pm
By: The Citizen

The Atlanta Hawks are once again celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with a special 2 p.m. game against the Houston Rockets on Monday, Jan. 16.

Doors open at 1 p.m. and tickets are still available by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX, visiting www.hawks.com, and at all Ticketmaster Ticket Outlets.

Four-time Grammy Award-winning gospel recording artist BeBe Winans is slated to perform a free concert approximately 20 minutes after the final buzzer as part of the “Night of Praise” concert series.

In addition to his four Grammys, Winans has garnered a number of other honors, including 10 Dove Awards, six Stellar Awards, two NAACP Awards and a Soul Train Award. A multi-faceted performer, he had a role in the 2004 feature film “The Manchurian Candidate,” as well as having performed in a number of Broadway and off-Broadway productions. The concert is free for anyone holding a game ticket.

Teenage gospel recording duo and Atlanta-natives Charles & Taylor will sing The Star-Spangled Banner prior to tipoff. The brother and sister act released their self-titled debut album this past July. Also, a special halftime performance by the Committed Acapella Chorus will feature the Bebe Winans song I Have A Dream, a musical version of the famous King speech.

Additionally, the first 4,000 kids (14 and under) through the Philips Arena doors will receive a free youth Marvin Williams replica Hawks jersey courtesy of Georgia-Pacific.

Prior to the game, students from New Horizons (an Atlanta area alternative school) will assist the Hawks organization with a day of service at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site (450 Auburn St.).

The events begin at 9 a.m. with a tour of King’s birth home and a Reading Timeout (presented by Philips Electronics, Sprite and BrandsMart USA) hosted by former Hawks star and current television analyst Steve Smith, along with WSB-TV News Anchor Jovita Moore.

At 10:30 am, volunteers will help restore an antique fire truck at Fire Station No. 6, which is also a part of the King Historical Site. Volunteers will then be VIP guests at Philips Arena for the Hawks-Rockets game.

Atlanta Hawks tickets start at $10 each and can be purchased by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX (1-(800)-462-2849), visiting Hawks.com, and at all Ticketmaster Ticket Outlets.

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