JACKSON, Miss.-The Belhaven department of athletics joined with the campus community to participate in the annual Martin Luther King Service day on Monday. Each team went to different locations in the Jackson Metro area to tackle various projects along with other Belhaven students, faculty, and staff.

Every year on Martin Luther King Day, Belhaven University takes a break from the regular schedule of classes to live out the schools motto "To Serve Not To Be Served." This annual event begins with students eating breakfast together and then being split into service teams. Teams went to places like the Mustard Seed, Mission First, John Perkins Foundation, American Red Cross, We Will Go and others. Projects included cleaning, painting, raking, serving food, gardening, building and organizing.

Jo Beth Petty, Director of Student Leadership, said, “The purpose of the campus-wide Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day is to give our students a chance to serve and emulate the work and spirit of Dr. King. Serving is also a valuable tool for life-change because it models what Christ did for us! The university's motto is 'to serve, not to be served' and this day is dedicated to living that out in tangible ways.”

Belhaven University, formerly Belhaven College, prepares men and women academically and spiritually to serve Christ Jesus in their careers, in human relationships, and in the world of ideas. Founded in 1883, the University now serves over 3,000 students from campuses in Jackson, Memphis, Orlando, Houston, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and online.