GENEVA, N.Y. — ​The pandemic has forced many organizations to rethink how they hold important events. The same held true for members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee in Geneva. With a big milestone for the annual MLK Day observance, they pushed forward with an in-person event.

On the streets of Geneva, it’s a tradition that’s happened every year for the past half-century: a celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Even during a pandemic, there was no way they would not do this in person.

"The great thing about Geneva is we somehow find a way to all get along," said the Rev. Donald Golden, who heads the Martin Luther King Committee of Geneva.

Monday’s gathering was a diverse one, as people marched from the Geneva Police Department to City Hall to the city’s MLK memorial. Geneva’s King Day observance is usually a day-long affair with song and food. Abbreviated this year due to COVID-19, the message remained.

"Just as inspiration of a vice president shows us that young Black boys and girls can do anything, we also got to let them know we still have a long way to go," said Rev. Theresa Jackson of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church.

Fifty years of observing Martin Luther King Day in Geneva. The dream, here, is alive.

"We are living the dream right now," said Jackson. "But we need to make sure that the dream that he had becomes a reality, and not just a dream."