When you live in the best city in America, Fountain Inn, you find a lot to be thankful for every day of the year. I wanted to highlight a few of those reasons this month as we reflect on so much this Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I’m thankful for our residents who love their neighbor in ways unlike any I’ve seen in other communities - whenever someone is need, we all pitch in to help; whenever someone does something notable, we celebrate them. Our residents volunteer for churches and community events; they coach our Recreation teams; they work in local stores; they serve on our various boards and commissions.

I’m thankful for our businesses and their owners and staff. When you choose our Fountain Inn residents and visitors as your customer base, that’s a huge testament to the type of community you have, especially in small towns like ours. Our businesses support one another and the community at-large - they sponsor our Recreation leagues and Fountain Inn and Hillcrest High Schools, they support our Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce, and so much more.

I’m thankful for our city employees. Our our employees help make Fountain Inn’s vision a reality. They make sure our residents and businesses have their critical services met, that they are safe, and that our community looks beautiful. They plan some of our community’s largest events, giving us all a reason to gather and fellowship; they run our Recreation and Senior programs; and they get to know those that they serve in a way no other city does.

I’m thankful to our City Council members who dedicate their time and energy into helping set and manage our community’s vision. I’m grateful in the way we conduct business and keep putting our community first.

I’m thankful to live in the best city in America, Fountain Inn.■