Final 2016 Rose Parade Float Decorations Top Priority
By Terry Miller
In a few hours, all the floats participating in the annual Rose Parade will be tooling down Colorado Blvd. in front of hundreds of thousands of fans, still cameras, and television crews sending images to audiences the world over.
But what makes all these floats so unique is the volunteer effort that put the finishing touches to the major designs at the two major float builders, as well as the smaller float builders like Sierra Madre Rose Float Association.
Hundreds of hours are devoted each year to the tiniest details; using seeds and flowers to create the designer’s vision. It is estimated that it takes 60 volunteers working 10 hours a day for 10 days to decorate one float.
Every square inch of the exposed surface of a float entered in the Rose Parade must be covered with flowers or other natural materials. The rules are strict. These other decorative applicants include bark, seeds, and leaves. Decorating with the non-perishable materials is performed first. In the days following Christmas, the live additions to the float are applied by volunteers or hired workers. Many people end each day covered in glue and petals. Delicate flowers are placed in individual vials of water and set into the float one-by-one. The Tournament of Roses is the largest consumer of flowers in the world, and flowers arrive from all over the world.
An event as large as the Tournament of Roses requires about 80,000 hours of combined manpower each year. That manpower is supplied by 935 members of the non-profit Tournament of Roses Association, a volunteer organization dedicated to presenting an internationally-recognized New Year’s celebration. Each volunteer is assigned to one of 31 committees, with responsibilities ranging from selecting parade participants to directing visitors on New Year’s Day, to hosting the press headquarters for media coverage of the Rose Bowl Game, to giving presentations about the Tournament to community groups.
Nicknamed “White Suiters” because of the distinctive white uniform every volunteer wears, these enthusiastic men and women give up their evenings, weekends, and holidays to ensure the success of the parade and game. A small full-time staff provides support and continuity to the volunteer organization.
Directly after the parade, floats are stripped to their chassis. Structural steel elements are reused where possible; organic materials and sculptural steel are recycled.
Shortly after each year’s parade is over and the next year’s parade theme is announced, the parade sponsors and participating communities start to plan their floats for the following year. A “theme draft” meeting is held in mid-February where builders select their float theme.
