The organizations and individuals that lined up for Sunday’s Farmville Jaycees Christmas Parade spanned nearly three digits, 89 in total. Though the number of participants who volunteered and the amount of time and resources they offered is immeasurable.

It was a cloudy afternoon and well below the 70-degree weather that was believed to be taking place that day. The various floats, musical performances, the tractor trailers and tractors the size of two-story buildings, and the friendly enthusiasm from neighbors who attended made the afternoon well worth it.

Each of the parade’s judges, Joan Simpson, Perry Carrington, Brian Vincent, Joy Stump, and actor and hip-hop artist Robin Allen, better known as the Lady of Rage, had to make some difficult decisions by choosing the winners for six categories among approximately 89 participants in the lineup.

They chose well, and their choices reflected their engagement with each organization during the parade.

Kyla Silver, pastor of Meherrin United Methodist Church and colleague with The Farmville Herald, brought her warmth, energy and enthusiasm as the parade MC for the third consecutive year. Emma Silver, her daughter, was excellent helping Kyla distribute goodie bags to children after the parade.

Each of the school marching bands, from Cumberland County Public Schools, Prince Edward County Public Schools, Fuqua School and Hopewell High School, brought with them extra bursts of energy and a nice collection of holiday songs. Accompanying Prince Edward’s performance were snow plows from the Virginia Department of Transportation that had murals painted on the front from Prince Edward’s newly-established chapter of the National Art Honor Society.

Carrington Dance Company, LLC, Appomattox River Company and Centra Southside Community Hospital turned the entertainment meter up to 100 through live dances, costumes and imaginative scene building through Centra’s hospital of misfit toys, Carrington’s dances based on “Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer” and two Appomattox River Company representatives fishing holiday gifts from the roof of the vehicle.

There were so many organizations who deserve recognition for bringing this event to the community. First and foremost credit goes to the Farmville Jaycees, that have brought the parade to the area for nearly 70 years. The amount of time and coordination to organize the parade has to be plenty, and true to any effort with a lot of work put in beforehand, the parade went by effortlessly.