SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- More than 1,500 community members gathered at Town and Country Resort in Mission Valley Friday morning to celebrate the 40th Annual MLK Jr. Human Dignity Award Breakfast, hosted by the San Diego YMCA. The gathering is meant to pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader whose life and achievements are honored across the country every January. RELATED: Events honoring MLK Jr. in San Diego The award is given to individuals in the community who exemplify MLK's work and character through service. This year, Dr. John E. Warren and the Southeast Disaster Response Team were chosen to receive the accolade. Dr. Warren is the president of Warren Communications, Inc., a distinguished African American-owned media group with community newspapers spanning the East and West Coasts. He is a local journalist and was a weekly commentator on the local NPR/PBS station for nearly a decade. RELATED: What’s closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in San Diego County? As for the Southeast Disaster Response Team, this is a coalition of eight organizations dedicated to collaboration and resilience in Southeast San Diego. The team mobilized comprehensive recovery efforts following the devastating 2024 floods. More information on the Dignity Award Breakfast can be found here. The ceremony comes ahead of MLK Jr. Day, which is Monday.