ROBBINS, N.C. — John Edwards' parents were at his side when he announced his bid for the Democratic nomination for president.

They were at his side when he dropped out of the race and threw his support behind John Kerry.

Now, Edwards is Kerry's running mate. And his parents will be behind him all the way to the White House.

Or as his father put it, "as far as the hard work and determination John Edwards grew up with will take him."

"Coming from a family that worked hard all our lives and struggled, he always wanted to rise above that," Wallace Edwards, John's father, said. "I think he was determined to do that."

The small town of Robbins, where Edwards grew up, is just as proud. Residents hope all the national attention will help them erase years of a struggling economy.