Stephen M. Baptiste Sr. has been selected as the keynote speaker for the seventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast honoring local students.

The breakfast, which will be held at the Boys and Girls Club on January 19 at 9 a.m., is sponsored and hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of New Bedford/Wareham Unit. It recognizes students from each Wareham school, the Boys and Girls Club, the Gleason Family YMCA, and regional schools which accept Wareham students.

“This year’s choice was very easy,” said Kenneth Fontes, unit director for the Boys and Girls Club of Wareham. “In addition to all the things Mr. Baptiste has done in the town for so many people, each year he continues to recognize the Paratroopers at his All Airborne Reunion held at the Pier View Restaurant each September. It is the only known Airborne Reunion on this scale.”

Mr. Fontes added that Mr. Baptiste has held a free Thanksgiving dinner year after year to feed the hungry at his restaurant. He has also has cooked for weddings, funerals, birthdays and continues to offer his business at no charge for group meeting and events. He served as the Grand Marshal for the 2014 Veterans Day parade in Wareham.

The major sponsor for the event is Bridgewater State University.

After a hot breakfast, principals from each of the town’s schools and representatives from other organizations will introduce their selections for the Martin Luther King award.

The awards go to students who embody the spirit of the slain civil rights leader and the keynote speaker. They're chosen by an organizing committee representing local businesses, clergy, youth organizations, and the School Department, as a role model for local youth.

Tickets for the event are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7 for children, and are available by calling the Boys and Girls Club of Wareham at 508-291-3565. This year, in acknowledgement of Mr. Baptiste’s service, all active military and veterans will be admitted at no charge.