A number of SGRV attorneys and staff gathered on January 16, 2023 to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through a day of service. Executive Director of Administration Mark Tarasiewicz, Communications Associate Michael Vinci, attorneys Joseph Devine and David Picker, IT Director Stan Tyszka, and Drexel Co-Op Jacob Jaeger came together on a cold, but pleasant and sunny January morning to joyously serve their community.

The group partook in a cleanup of the Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia, a vital watershed and recreational space for the city. The activity was sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of the Wissahickon, which is committed to the maintenance and upkeep of the park. There, they took up their trash pickers and went to work cleaning up some of the park’s most littered areas, restoring them to their pristine, natural state. It was a valiant effort indeed, and everyone was pleasantly surprised at the amount of litter that managed to be collected and the profound difference it made on the appearance of the park.

In addition to those that went to help clean up the park, a number of SGRV staff participated in MLK Day through their own service activities in addition to educational discussions and program viewings with friends and family regarding Dr. King’s legacy.

The MLK Day of Service is a nationwide effort taken up by Americans every year to give back to their communities in the spirit of Dr. King’s commitment to service. As Dr. King once stated, “Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service.”

Instead of a day off, Many companies and firms across America, including SGRV, approach MLK day as a “day on,” allowing employees to give back to their communities for a day in lieu of just coming into the office.

As we reflect on the importance of days like this, we remember to continue teaching the lessons of Dr. King through our words and actions for not just one day, but throughout the year.