Newton County’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance is approaching, and along with it the awarding of “The I Have a Dream Award, “The Young Dreamer Award” and the “Trailblazer Award.”

Those three awards will be given to outstanding individuals and/or organizations whose service to the community embodies the tenets of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s philosophy on social justice and community empowerment at the county’s annual Ecumenical Service.

Nominees should be submitted to the MLK 2016 Awards, c/o Josephine Brown, P.O. Box 185, Covington, GA, 30015 or faxed to 678-609-1404 by noon Jan. 4. Each nomination should include: name, address and contact phone number of the person making the nomination; name and address of the nominee (including grades for Young Dreamer Award nominees) and a typed statement explaining how the nominee meets or exceeds the criteria for the award.

Nominees for “The I Have a Dream Award” must: have given at least two years of service to the Newton County community; be a registered voter; be affiliated with a church/synagogue/worship center; be one who models a spirit of peace and unity; be one who will initiate and support change; be endowed with a humble spirit; be steadfast in his/her convictions; be one who fosters and supports education on all levels.

Nominees for “Trailblazer Award” must: be a long time citizen of newton County; be a registered voter; be a creator of change in the community and follow through to implementation; benefit the community; be resourceful and committed to all aspects of the county; foster a cohesive spirit of peace, unity, diversity and love.

Nominees for “The Young Dreamer Award” must: be a citizen of Newton County; be enrolled in one of the public schools of Newton County; be in either grades K-5 or 6-12; have demonstrated interest in fostering peace, unity, diversity and love among his/her peers.