A new dream to unify and uplift America through service begins today

Realizing the Dream is a collaboration between the Martin Luther King III Foundation and Legacy+, with support from the National Football League.

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the beginning of a remarkable new initiative to realize Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream for America.

Realizing the Dream is a monumental movement to unite and uplift communities across America by calling for 100 million hours of service by the 100th anniversary of Dr. King's birth. It's an ambitious five-year initiative to mobilize and inspire youth, educators, and entire communities to take action on local issues and make a meaningful difference through acts of service.

Realizing the Dream is a collaboration between the Martin Luther King III Foundation and Legacy+, with a five-year commitment of support from the National Football League.

Realizing the Dream also joined with another Legacy+ initiative, Education+ (a free learning platform designed to support educators) to deliver service-learning resources and professional development for educators looking to empower their students.

The multi-year initiative will also work with corporate partners to support employee engagement through volunteer opportunities.

Tune in to ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes at 8pm ET/5pm PT tonight for the NFL Wild Card Game featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – as Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King and Yolanda Renee King participate in the ceremonial coin toss as honorary team captains for the Buccaneers.

"The NFL's partnership with Realizing the Dream aligns with our dedication to serving communities, the values that underpin our Inspire Change efforts and our desire to further Dr. King's legacy," said Anna Isaacson, NFL senior vice president of social responsibility. "As we build upon an existing movement, we're excited to answer Realizing the Dream's call to action through facilitating and celebrating acts of service and social change around the country."

"Arndrea, Yolanda, and I are excited to join hands with the NFL in commemorating my father's vision of a beloved community. The Realizing the Dream initiative underscores the importance of service, collective responsibility, and how service empowers individuals and strengthens communities," said Martin Luther King III.

"When we come together in service, realizing Dr. King's dream is well within our grasp," Arndrea Waters King added. "By working together and each of us using our unique gifts, the Realizing the Dream initiative will cultivate strong communities across the country."

"Building a movement takes extraordinary partnerships," explained Legacy+ co-founder Marc Kielburger. "We're proud to be working with the Martin Luther King III Foundation, the NFL as well as partners and NGOs across America to reach Realizing the Dream's ambitious goal."

"We are fortunate to have the support of strategic educational partners across the U.S. and a network of more than 130,000 teachers in all 50 states," Legacy+ co-founder Craig Kielburger added. "Working together, we can make this remarkable dream come true."

So, tune in to the game, join the movement and sign up to get updates at realizethedream.org!

The Martin Luther King III Foundation is an organization dedicated to building up to a new culture of compassion, trust, dignity, acceptance and love through ideas, words and insights. Leading the way in representing the three values: justice, equity and peace.

Legacy+ is a foundry of strategists, designers, creators, storytellers and innovators that brings purpose to life for companies, foundations and individuals by building real movements and legacy projects with life-changing impacts for people and communities around the world. They have partnered with globally renowned thought leaders, activists, CEOs, entertainers, athletes, celebrities and more to inspire millions of youths, educators, companies, and communities to give back through service.