Ames residents came together to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a presentation at the Ames Public Library.Students from Roosevelt Elementary and Ames Middle School coordinated the Monday night event at the library, 515 Douglas Ave. Through songs and poetry, the children discussed the life of the one of the most well-known activists in U.S. history.”It allows the children to be more involved in the celebration of Dr. King and it makes it more of a family event,” said Ken Smith, Ames resident.This year’s celebration, which strayed from an adult-oriented focus, goes along with Iowa State’s theme of strengthening families to become the best, said Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco. The presence of the children was important, Tedesco said, because it gave the celebration a more innocent spin.”I also believe that when families understand and talk about the different issues involved with diversity, we make more headway,” he said. “Sometimes the youngsters ask questions that the adults are too scared to ask.”The YMCA-sponsored event opened with a play presented by Roosevelt students titled “If a Bus Could Talk,” which outlined the life of Rosa Parks and her role in King’s life. Children were also involved in a dialogue about the impact of King’s message in their lives.”When my mom’s not looking, I pray for Martin Luther King,” said Jessica, a student at Roosevelt.Even though this celebration only comes once a year, Tedesco said it was an important step toward appreciating diversity in the community every day.”It’s been a great day,” he said. “Hopefully, it will continue to grow.”Iowa State’s annual King celebration was held Friday afternoon on Central Campus with a carillon performance by Tin-Shi Tam. The festivities also included the King University Birthday Party and Music Celebration in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union, with performances by the Oratorio Choir and the New Beginnings Gospel Choir.