Houston, Texas -Martin Luther King Oratory Competition.

Event sponsored by Gardere Wynne Sewell, LLP. The 2010 Martin Luther King Oratory Competition held in Houston Texas on Jan. 15, 2010
Ten-year-old Christian Burgs from Garden Villas Elementary took top prize in Houston with his inspiring speech, "teaching" the audience in his "classroom" how to achieve their own dreams by following Dr. King's example. Christian, a fifth-grader who placed second in the 2009 competition, hopes to attend Harvard and become a lawyer, offering words of advice to others: "I along with others will too have to face some hardships, but one thing is certain that obstacles Dr. King faced made 'our' road achievable. Dr. King's actions have taught me not to just knock on the door of opportunity, but kick it in." His inspirational speech received a standing ovation from the audience.

Second place went to Ronson Hawkins, a fifth-grader at MacGregor Elementary, and fourth-grader Raiya Goodman was awarded third place in the 14th annual competition.

"Through their speeches, these young students take a look back at where we have been, reflect on how far we have come and dream about where theyll be in the future, observed Claude Treece, Houston event chair and Gardere operating partner. "It's a remarkable demonstration of Dr. King's lasting legacy of hope and inspiration."

The Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition was established in 1993 by the law firm of Gardere & Wynne to commemorate the life of Dr. King. Presented in the spirit of learning and celebration, the program was designed to highlight the cultural diversity of the community while recognizing and encouraging the writing and presentation skills of elementary school students. In 1995, Dallas' Gardere & Wynne merged with Houston's Sewell & Riggs, creating the law firm now known as Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP. The Dallas oratory competition was embraced by the new Houston office, with the attorneys establishing a similar program in Houston in 1997. All finalists receive savings bonds and other prizes.

The event was recorded and aired the following highlights on The Victor Trevino Live TV Show on 1-20-10 on Channel 17 WTP-TV on Comcast Cable via The Houston Media Source. This video was recorded and edited by Harris County Deputy Constable T. Entwistle

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News & Politics

Tags:

• Houston
• Martin Luther King
• Constable Victor Trevino
• Ronson Hawkins
• Raiya Goodman
• Christian Burgs
• Nick Ferguson
• Houston Texans
• Gardere Wynne Sewell
• LLP
• MacGregor Elementary
• Cornelius Elementary