Prayer Breakfast to Honor Longtime Phoenixville Community Activist

Phoenixville’s Emmett Gruici has spent most of his 90 years of life giving to the borough community, such as helping with efforts to save the Colonial Theatre and operating as the unofficial photographer of Phoenixville. Saturday morning, the community will give a little back to the local legend.

The Phoenixville Area Social Concerns Committee will honor Gruici with the Emma Valenteen Award at its 21st annual Community Prayer Breakfast on April 11 at Phoenixville Area Middle School. It’s another in a series of celebrations of the life of Gruici, who was the guest of honor for a 90th birthday bash in February.

The Community Prayer Breakfast was created in 1994 in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. and to celebrate people in the Phoenixville area that sacrifice their time and money in the service of others.

The theme of this year’s event is “Celebrating Diversity,” with Professon Michael Wenger, author of ”My Black Family, My White Privilege,” as the featured speaker.

The Castro Family Quartet is also scheduled to perform a series of instrumental numbers of Latin music.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award will be presented to Rev. Buddy Goodwin & Mrs. Belinda Goodwin. Winners of the Phoenixville Area School District “Celebrating Diversity” expression contest will be recognized.

Tickets cost $12 a person for the buffet, which starts at 8 a.m.