MLK 2009: a day on

president-elect Barack Obama has emphasized that today is a national day of service. Not a day off (for some), but rather a day on. It was in that spirit that hundreds came out to volunteer in greater southeast this morning: first for a MTV/ServiceNation-sponsored breakfast at Ballou High School, then followed by a day of service at Simon Elementary.


Ashton and Demi premiered their new video, in which fellow celebs pledged to service and other good-will commitments. as Ashton put it: "once the words [to commit] leave your lips, you become accountable".


tobey maguire, spiderman & chair of the ServiceNation ambassadors council. incidentally, the latest superman was also in attendence.


the famous Ballou marching band led the charge to Simon Elementary where the program continued and the serving began


they have a lot of spirit - definitely a great way to get the crowd excited


mayor Fenty was there, and once inside helped introduce one young gentleman, below, who read a portion of Obama's Grant Park "if there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible" speech


everything was being filmed, both for today's Oprah and for a program tonight on MTV


gettin' ready to serrrve


new books for the refurbished library!


the lockers go white. over 200 volunteers were busy priming, painting, and re-stocking.

the legacy of service and selfless commitment to country is MLK's greatest gift. sometimes it's easy to see a day off as just that: an extra couple hours of sleep, a big cup of coffee, some errands, and some all-star relaxation. Painting the day instead as a day on radically transforms it.

all photos by DG-rad