13th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition January 16, 2009

13th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition Slated for Jan. 16
Houston-Area Elementary Students to Honor the Memory of Dr. King with Speech Competition

WHO
The annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition will be held at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Christ on Friday, Jan. 16. Fourth- and fifth-grade students from 18 Houston-area schools will present original five-minute speeches on the topic: “If Dr. King were alive today, what do you think he would say about current events?” Students are judged on their delivery, stage presence and decorum, content interpretation, and memorization. The competition is sponsored by Texas-based Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP law firm.

The 2009 competition has expanded from 10 to 18 elementary schools, and additional schools may participate. Confirmed schools include: Anderson, Atherton, Cornelius, Crespo, Dodson, Gregg, Lockhart, MacGregor, Park Place, Peck, Pleasantville, Port Houston, R.P Harris, Rodriguez, Seguin, Thompson, Wainwright and Whidby elementary schools.

WHAT
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP will host the Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition in Houston for the 13th year in conjunction with the national holiday honoring the late civil rights leader. The firm originated the competition in Dallas in 1993 as an opportunity to encourage the writing and speaking skills of local students, celebrate the city’s diversity, and promote awareness and understanding of Dr. King’s legacy. The event’s success in Dallas promoted Gardere to expand to the competition to Houston. The competition is free and open to the public.

Gardere partners with local public schools to recruit fourth- and fifth-grade students to participate in the competitions. Students must compete at in-school preliminary competitions to qualify to represent their schools at the Jan. 16 final competition. All finalists receive college savings bonds.

WHERE & WHEN
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Christ
500 Clay Street
Houston, Texas 77002

Friday, Jan. 16, 2009
9:45 a.m.: Salvation Army Choir Performs
10:00 – 11:45 a.m.: Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Final Competition

ABOUT GARDERE WYNNE SEWELL LLP
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm, was founded in 1909 and is one of the Southwest’s largest full-service law firms. With offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Mexico City, Gardere provides legal services to private and public companies and individuals in areas of energy, litigation, corporate, tax, environmental, labor and employment, intellectual property, and financial services.