STATESBORO, Ga. — Braving the chilly temperatures, a crowd of hundreds gathered in downtown Statesboro on Monday to celebrate the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade.

The Bulloch County Chapter of the NAACP organized the event, attracting participants of all ages and representing various organizations for the roughly one-mile procession.

This year’s Grand Marshal was none other than Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar. Joining the parade was his wife, Adrianne McCollar, who marched alongside representatives from Georgia Southern University.

Adrianne McCollar explained the significance of the university’s participation, emphasizing its commitment to the community. “For Georgia Southern, being part of the community is incredibly important,” she stated. “We’re thrilled to be involved within the Statesboro, Savannah, and Swainsboro communities, and today, we have a presence on all three floats.”

“It was important for Georgia Southern to show up and be a part of this because community is huge for Georgia Southern,” Adrianne said. “Being in it, being a part of it, and so we are just happy to be in community as Georgia Southern within the Statesboro community, the Savannah community and the Swainsboro community. We are present at all three floats today.”

It wasn’t just university officials who participated in the festivities. GSU Students from clubs and athletics also braved the weather on Monday morning.

One of the organizations was the Black Student Alliance (BSA).

“We wanted to participate in today’s parade to really support and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr,” BSA President Morgan Bennett said. “Without him, none of us would be here, as well as the student organizations and then all of us in college wouldn’t be here today without his legacy.”

While there were hundreds of participants across the over 75 parade entries, many more lined the streets to view the annual celebration.

Some set up downtown, near the intersection of West Main and North Main Streets, while others got the convenience of watching from their front yards.

Voncin Freeman, a resident of a home on the parade route, told about her emotions related to the parade.

“It’s beautiful and peaceful, and people need to learn to love and be peaceful…and stop being so mean and hateful,” Freeman said.