INDIANA — The 24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indiana Holiday Celebration will bring together more than 500 students, state employees, local and state government officials, human rights agencies and Indiana residents from across the state. Residents are invited to the celebration on Jan. 15 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Indiana Statehouse, 200 W. Washington St.
Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann will also award four individuals from across the Hoosier state for their service and commitment to their community. Those individuals are:
• 2015 Freedom Award Winner — Minn N. Nan Tin. Born and raised in Burma, now Myanmar, Nan Tin came to Indiana in 1995 after being granted political asylum through a United Nations resettlement program. In 2008, Nan Tin joined the Burmese Advocacy Center (BAC) as their Executive Director.
• 2015 Passing the Torch Award Winner — Binuri Lasanya Hapuarachchy, a ninth grade student at Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet High School in Indianapolis, was born in Sri Lanka. She was selected as the winner of the 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Writing and Multimedia Contest for her essay titled “Expression” which portrays the lasting impact Dr. King has on the United States today. Most recently, she was named the 2014 winner of the Alpha Omega Prize for Student Art.
• 2015 Chairman’s Award Winner — Pastor Darnell Johnson, a pastor at Mt. Hermon Missionary Baptist Church in East Chicago, Indiana, is the Founder of the Holistic Community Coalition (HCC) in East Chicago
• 2015 Spirit of Justice Award Winner — Chief Justice Loretta Rush. Appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court by Governor Mitch Daniels in September 2012, she took the oath of office as Indiana’s 108th Supreme Court Justice on November 7, 2012. She became Chief Justice on August 18, 2014. She has been appointed multiple times to attend the National Judicial Leadership Summit on the Protection of Children.
