UConn medical, dental, pharmacy and biomedical research students volunteered their time yesterday for a day of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

More than 190 students visited shelters, community centers, food pantries and senior citizen centers in New Haven, Hartford, Norwich, Willimantic and New Britain. They took part in numerous activities including teaching preschool students the importance of hand hygiene, talking to high school students about pursuing a career in medicine, taking blood pressure screenings on older adults, and presenting workshops on topics such as diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.

“It was a lot of fun and very rewarding.  They really seemed to appreciate our help. It was a great way to spend MLK Jr. Day,” said second-year medical student Melissa Dion.

Dozens of students also commemorated the day by making posters and holding a “Mini-Freedom March” around Walnut Hill Park and downtown New Britain while other students helped stock the Three Angels Adventist Community Service Food Pantry in Hartford.

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