LaGRANGE — Despite the looming threat of rain Saturday morning, a large crowd lined city streets for the 31st annual Sweet Land of Liberty Fourth of July parade hosted by the Junior Service League and Troup County Parks and Recreation. The event began with the standard fanfare including the national anthem and a performance by a dance troupe from the Lafayette Society for Performing Arts. Amanda Mallory of LaGrange, one of the JSL’s organizers of the parade, introduced the parade’s 2015 grand marshal, Angela Anderson of LaGrange. Mallory noted Anderson was chosen to lead the kid-centric parade because of her decades of work with local children as a dance coach, swim teacher and mentor. “Children are her heart,” Mallory said as she introduced Anderson. “Angela has done so much for the children of our community.” Anderson spoke briefly as she kicked off the parade, holding back tears as she thanked the community for being honored at the parade. Just as the parade got underway, a rainstorm soaked spectators and participants, but didn’t dampen the patriotic mood. “I had a ball and so did the kids,” Anderson said later. “It can never rain on my parade!”