Hundreds of people gathered Monday morning at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in community.

Mayor Claudia Balducci told the crowd that while there’s been great progressive in the fight for equality, there’s still a long road to travel.Last month the city adopted its new diversity initiative plan to respond to the area’s rapidly changing demographics.

Balducci said seeing the large crowd gather as one to celebrate the civil rights leader’s message and memory spoke volumes about the area’s willingness to work together.

“The world our kids are growing up is vastly different than it was for us,” the mayor told the Reporter. “It’s so exciting to see the community come together and celebrate Dr. King’s life.”

Bellevue Council Member John Stokes echoed Balducci’s excitement adding that the size of the crowd and diversity of its population, “validates the work we’ve been doing. This is what it’s all about.”

The morning began with an emotional speech from Shari Watts, chapter president of the Bellevue Alumnae chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

Watts said if Dr. King were still alive and saw so many different ethnicities gathered in once place and he would have smiled.

“He wanted everyone to be together no matter what race or ethnicity your are, just together, celebrating,” she said. “This is a day about giving back to the community, providing a positive message to our youth and being together. This isn’t just a day off, it’s a day of service.”

Along with a Zumba demonstration, live music, performances and guest speakers, dozens of community members donated their time and expertise to their neighbors offering onsite mammograms, health screenings, voter registration and other resources.

Since its inception about 15 years ago, diversity coordinator Kevin Henry said he’s yet to see a bigger turnout for the event.

“This is a catalyst for people getting together,” Henry said. “It’s a great way to pull all parts of the community together to remember Dr. King’s message to treat people with respect and dignity.”