Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Cleveland Heights

Monday, Jan. 21 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

For some, the national holiday honoring the prominent civil rights activist is a time to give back and serve the community, be it through removing graffiti or picking up litter in a local park.

For others, it’s an opportunity to educate themselves about King and his life's work. And for others, it’s a time to just kick back and enjoy the prolonged weekend.

Here are a few events going on in Cleveland Heights and in neighboring communities:

• Hope Lutheran Church is hosting its 18th annual "Still I Rise" celebration in honor of King from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday Jan. 20. The church extends an invitation to the song and praise event to everybody.=

• The Cleveland Heights annual celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. begins at 7 p.m. at the Cleveland Heights Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd. The Cleveland Heights High School choir will perform and awards will be given out to winners in the city's essay, poetry and poster contest about how King influenced participants to stand up for what they believe in. For more information, call 216-291-2323.

• Though Laurel School's offices and classes will be closed for the holiday, the school will host a day of "Celebration, Reflection and Service" in honor of King. The event lasts from 9 a.m. to noon. It is free and open to the public. Click here for the day's schedule.

• The Caring Cubs will meet at 10 a.m. at Furman Hall in the Hanna Perkins School Center for Childhood Development, 19910 Malvern Road, for a day of service projects to support the Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland and Providence House. Click here to learn about the projects and register for the event.

• Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood will remember King a few days early with a Shabbat Service at 6:15 p.m. Friday Jan. 18. The event will feature guests representing the Tuskegee Airmen, North Coast Chapter, a group dedicated to emphasizing the historical importance of the original Tuskegee Airmen.

• The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood will hold a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration while the museum is open, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Huntington Bank will sponsor free admission all day. A special musical presentation begins at 1:30 p.m., followed by "A Conversation After a Funeral," a one-act play by Cleveland playwright Dr. Mary Weems, in which Anne Frank and Emmett Till meet in the afterlife.

• Montefiore will hold its annual Martin Luther King Jr. tribute at 2:30 p.m. at Montefiore’s Maltz Chapel/Auditorium, 1 David N. Myers Pkwy., Beachwood. Rev. Hilton O. Smith, president of the Cleveland NAACP, will deliver the keynote address, and members of Bedford High School's Madrigal Singers will perform. For more information, call Rabbi Joel Chazin at 216-910-2522.

These are just a few of the events going on in the area. If you know of others, let your neighbors know in the comments section below.