Ohio Breakfast Awards Scholarships in MLK's Honor

For three decades, a community breakfast in Zanesville, Ohio has turned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to education into real opportunities for local students.

The 32nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund Prayer Breakfast brought families, schools, and community members together at North Terrace Church of Christ. The event awarded scholarships to minority high school students who've shown exceptional dedication to their studies.

"This investment in education is paramount to the foundation of students in the future," said Philip Tabler, co-chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Committee. "But the prayer breakfast in and of itself is a statement in our community to let these students know that they are valued and they are important."

The connection to Dr. King runs deeper than symbolic gestures. Before becoming a civil rights icon, King earned a Bachelor's of Divinity degree and later a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology, making education central to his life's work.

"Dr. King was obviously a promoter of social justice and the opportunity of equality as well as the intellectual factors that establish a strong foundation for a strong community," Tabler explained. The scholarship program channels that vision into tangible support for the next generation.

The Ripple Effect

The breakfast does more than write checks. It creates a space where students see their whole community rallying behind them, reinforcing that their success matters beyond their individual achievements.

This year's celebration included a special recognition for the Animal Shelter Society, which received the 2026 MLKJ Award. The organization earned the honor for embodying Dr. King's legacy through their commitment to giving homeless pets second chances.

The event represents how communities can turn remembrance into action. Instead of simply commemorating a historical figure, Zanesville transforms King's values into scholarships that open doors and prayer breakfasts that build students up.

For 32 years and counting, this Ohio community has proven that honoring the past works best when it invests in the future.