A large crowd is expected Jan. 9 for the Twelfth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Challenge Breakfast program, according to organizer Dr. Shandale Terrell. The event starts at 7:30 a.m., with doors opening at 7 a.m. at the Bartow Civic Center, 2250 S. Floral Ave. The event is sponsored and presented by members of the Community Relations Advisory Council, or CRAC. The CRAC is under the umbrella of the Polk County Board of County Commissioners.

The top winners in each category will be announced and the first place winners will read their essays aloud. First, second and third place winners were chosen from each category: elementary, middle and high schools, on the theme “Building the Dream, Living the Dream.”