If you haven’t gotten in the holiday spirit yet, this weekend is your big chance to start.

 Tonight the parade in Porterdale kicks off the spirit-filled weekend. Saturday the Covington Lions and Main Street Covington sponsor the annual Christmas parade in downtown Covington. Sunday there will be the first Twilights at Chimney Park event sponsored by the Friends of the Park. This event will be held at the site of the planned park located behind the Newton County Library.

 You can read about all three of these events in today’s paper and at www.covnews.com.

 All of the above activities are guaranteed to boost your spirit during this economically challenging year.

 Community members can have their spirits revived by insuring that our neighbors have food to feed their families over this glorious holiday season.

 Saturday there will be bright red trash cans stationed at the four corners and center of the square, there will be other collection bins near Amici’s, RL’s, Ramsey Furniture, the stage at the front of the courthouse and at the parade staging area on Newton Drive.

 Sunday food bins will be set up at the entrance to the park for the Twilights event.

 Volunteers are needed to staff the donation bins during the parade and to transfer the donated goods to the Food Pantry after the parade. If you can volunteer call (770) 786-4493 or e-mail mauricec7@bellsouth.net.

 The sponsors of the parade and the Friends of the Park ask you to look into your pantry and bring what you can. Every gift like this that helps someone else in our community is multiplied many times over.

 By Monday it will be great to see that old, holiday smile on everyone in our community because of those who care.