Parade returns to Springfield for MLK Jr. Day in Effingham County

EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - The Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in downtown Springfield is an Effingham County tradition.

“It’s something I look forward to,” said Springfield Mayor Barton Alderman.

Bringing those all across the county to one place to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King.

After the pandemic forced them to change how they observed the day last year, the parade is now back.

“I’m just happy to have something like that again here in downtown,” Mayor Alderman says.

Allowing their community to find a way to safely recognize the day and the man behind it.

“Where others may have cancelled, we are still yet here marching forward. We ask that you come and support us in this effort. Again, we are outside definitely following all the CDC guidelines,” said Chairman of the MLK Jr. Day Committee Rev. Lon Harden.

Although the parade is making its return not all events surrounding the day are, at least for now.

“We usually would have a breakfast in the morning at 7:30 a.m. but we have postponed the breakfast this year,” said Rev. Harden.

While it won’t be the same as years past, once again, what’s truly important is not where, but how you spend it.

“Martin Luther King Day is one of those days that I think everybody needs to stop and not just think of it as a day off work but sit back and think about why we celebrate the day,” Mayor Alderman says.

Remembering the dream Dr. King once had and hope that can still give us to press forward still today.

“There is so many different things that face us today but we should still press through it and strive to do what, again, he set out to do years ago and what we are still striving to do in 2022,” said Rev. Harden.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. on Monday and goes right down Laurel Street in downtown Springfield.

It will be followed by the youth award ceremonies at the county fairgrounds.

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