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MLK Day Of Service Draws Volunteers All Throughout Philadelphia

By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - To celebrate what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 85th birthday, tens of thousands of volunteers went to work Monday as part of more than 1,700 projects throughout Philadelphia.

More than 5,000 volunteers converged onto Girard College, participating in 150 projects across the campus.

"We're doing a pledge for peace against handgun violence and for peace in our community," says Faye Dawson.

Dawson runs the Vincent Woodson Foundation, named after her son who was murdered in 2005. Instead of grieving, she was inspired to fight for peace:

"People are starting to get tired of losing our loved ones, our young men and young women," she said.

The signature project for the day focused on education -- packing supplies for schools.

"Books, computers, all that will be distributed to the most underserved Philadelphia public schools," MLK Day of Service Founder Todd Bernstein said.

Other notable projects include civil rights workshops, a health fair and a job fair.

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