In Garland, there are few things more important or more invigorating for the town than its annual Rotary Day Parade.

The town comes together in a unique way, celebrating its people, honoring those who have served our country so loyally and recognizing the flavor of small-town life in a big time way.

For a small town, the annual Rotary Day event comes off with tremendous flare and proves that it doesn’t take large numbers of people to pull off a hugely successful day or that small towns can’t welcome throngs of people into its midst.

This Saturday, the small southern town will once again offer residents from across Sampson and beyond an opportunity to join with them in the annual festivities. We are hoping people will do so, understanding that this celebration is guaranteed to make you laugh, eat and just enjoy life Sampson County style.

The town’s Rotary Club is small in number but it’s big in commitment. Those involved in the event each year work hard to pull off not only a successful event but aim to improve it — which they’ve done — year after year. And nearly from the time this year’s event ends Saturday evening, the club will begin working on next year’s.

Last year, we touted the event as one of the town’s best, but this year’s likely will top those of years’ past, and the promise is, that next year’s and the one after that and the one after that one will be bigger and better than those that have come before.

And that’s to the credit of everyone who has a hand in pulling it off each year. An event worth its mettle improves every year, draws more people and pulls in more favorable reviews, proving that hard work and continued commitment make the difference.

We expect such to be the case Saturday in Garland without question.

But it can’t happen without the support of those the event will draw. Each year it brings in thousands to Garland; we hope this year will bring in thousands more.

Whether it’s the parade with all its regalia, the booths with everything from food to crafts, the salute to the veterans or the plain old fellowship among friends and neighbors, every year Garland improves its festivities and provides something in which the townsfolk can be proud.

Once again, we applaud the town’s Rotary Club, government officials who throw their support behind it each year, townsfolk who never fall short in rallying around the event and the out-of-towners who we hope will find their way to this small Sampson County town.

Like the Garland event and next weekend’s Court Square Festival in Clinton, as well as dozens of others throughout the year, having local folks get behind it can, and often does, make the difference. It takes everyone to make an event like this successful.

Let’s be a part of making the Garland Rotary Fair one of those very successful events.