Children dance while the St. Luke’s A.M.E. Church choir performs Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, during the annual Martin Luther King Jr., chili feed at New York Elementary School.

Some 30 years ago, a small group of New York Elementary School staffers and neighbors came together to celebrate what was then a brand-new federal holiday. Martin Luther King Jr. Day had just been recognized as such by the U.S. government, and a handful of teachers and principals decided to honor the occasion by whipping up a big pot of chili and inviting folks — anyone, really — to dig in.

Current New York principal Nancy DeGarmo wasn’t around way back when, but that’s the story of the school’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Chili Feed as she’s heard it over the years. Of course, the once-humble gathering has “quickly outgrown anything that a group of teachers could put together and serve,” DeGarmo said, but at its core, the MLK Chili Feed remains true to the ideals championed by King so many years ago.

“If you think about the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, that really epitomizes New York Elementary — that regardless of your race or economic standing, we all go to school together, and as neighbors we all support each other and we all get along,” DeGarmo says of the annual Chili Feed, which returns to the East Lawrence school, 936 New York St., at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

This year’s event promises to be a little more sophisticated than its first iteration; these days, cooks from the Lawrence school district’s offices make enough chili, meat and vegetarian versions included, to serve 500 people. DeGarmo expects around 400 New York students, families and community members to attend Tuesday night’s gathering, which also enlists each grade level at the school to contribute something, whether that be carrots and celery or cheese and crackers.

Anyone’s encouraged to bring desserts, if they so choose, DeGarmo said.

New York’s parent-teacher organization handles the bulk of the responsibility, but school volunteers also receive help from long-term community partners like the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, Altrusa International of Lawrence, the local Breakfast Optimist Club and the Lawrence Wesleyan Church. Choir members from nearby St. Luke AME Church also lend their musical talents to the annual feed, stopping by at some point in the evening — the whole thing is very relaxed, DeGarmo stresses — to entertain guests.

From its beginnings in 1869, New York Elementary School has always been racially integrated — even at the time when other schools in Lawrence were not, DeGarmo said. Langston Hughes, the famous Harlem Renaissance writer, attended classes there as a youngster some 100 years ago.

To this day, DeGarmo said, the school retains a diverse student population, a point of pride that has long been celebrated at New York and its surrounding neighborhood — “We value our diversity, we value our unique perspective on community and what that means, and we value working together for the good of people around us.”

This year, event organizers are also spearheading a drive for gently used children’s coats. Donations accepted at the Chili Feed will go to New York students in need; any remaining coats will be donated to the Lawrence school district’s clothing room.

“It’s an East Lawrence thing,” DeGarmo said of the MLK Chili Feed. Still, “We have people from all over, and that’s the fun part – to get together and see people you don’t normally see at other events, but here we all are, together.”

In the spirit of unity and brethren championed by King, organizers make a point of keeping the Chili Feed accessible to all. Guests are encouraged to donate on a free-will basis for their food. Even those who can’t spare a dollar are invited to stop by, pull up a chair and enjoy — and some folks, DeGarmo said, do just that, though they might offer to clean up afterward.

There’s not even much effort exerted in assigning tasks to volunteers beforehand. People, DeGarmo said, are happy to help. There’s no need to ask.

“It just happens, and that’s the beauty of community,” she said. “They want to be a part of it.”