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Community members rallied together Thursday, April 23, to take part in a surprise Health Care Heroes Parade at the Southside Centra Community Hospital in Farmville.

The parade, arranged by the Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce and Centra officials, gave residents an opportunity to show appreciation for local health care workers helping to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once in the morning and once in the evening, during hospital shift changes, fire trucks, police cars and other decorated vehicles lined up on Second Avenue to prepare to surprise Centra employees.

The cars then paraded through the hospital parking lot, flashing lights, blaring sirens, honking horns, blowing bubbles and cheering on the community’s bravest.

Even a little bit of rain couldn’t stop the local businesses, EMS personnel and area residents as they participated in the event, sporting hand-written signs of support for local doctors, nurses and other workers.

Centra employees gathered outside the hospital doors to wave and look on as the cars rolled by and community members shouted out a chorus of, “Thank you!”

The parade then rolled on to surprise the workers at the Centra Southside Medical Center located on South Main Street.

Check out more photos here. 

Photos by Alexa Massey and Titus Mohler