Hampton County Veteran’s Day Parade held Saturday

HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - Savannah wasn’t the only place celebrating Veteran’s Day with a parade this year.

Folks in the Lowcountry also had one to attend.

In years past, there hasn’t been a Veteran’s Day Parade in Hampton County, but when Sharon Johnson took over as director of the Hampton County VA, she thought that needed to change.

“I discussed it with my secretary, I was like, ‘Hey, we need to do something to really recognize and honor our veterans,’ so after a lot of prayer, God dropped it in my heart to start with a parade,” Director Sharon Johnson said.

Firetrucks, police cars, and military vehicles cruised through downtown Hampton, throwing candy to kids in the process.

The parade, however, wasn’t the end of the story.

There was also a celebration in front of the Hampton County Courthouse that included guest speakers, and 38 vendors.

”All the money that the vendors are going to give goes to a veteran. We’re going to raffle everything off, we’re giving away a 50-inch screen TV to a veteran. So everything that that the vendors give us, goes back to the veterans. They deserve to have something,” Johnson said.

The Jasper County VA agrees.

They partnered with the Hampton County VA throughout the event as well- as the two organizations want to set a new standard of veteran’s appreciation in the Lowcountry.

“We’re partnering together, we’re trying to exercise family. You know, the word veteran, is family. We band together, one band, one mission. So we’re trying to show that and exemplify family as being veterans,” Alton Jenkins said.

Since, this celebration was a joint effort with Jasper County, Johnson says next year, that’s where the parade will be.

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