Boeing gives donation to MLK Center

Published Thursday, August 28, 2008

WASHINGTON — The Boeing Co. has announced a $1 million donation to help build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

The gift was announced at a unity breakfast at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, the 45th anniversary of the civil rights leader's "I Have a Dream" speech.

The foundation working to build the memorial on the National Mall in Washington says it has now raised $100 million for the effort. Earlier this month, the group announced it must raise an additional $20 million to complete the project.

James Bell, Boeing's corporate president and chief financial officer, says the memorial will be an enduring reminder of King's legacy of inclusion, hope and freedom.

Also Thursday, Clear Channel Radio stations across the country are holding an all-day radiothon to help complete fundraising for the memorial.