Memory Makers Decorates Rose Parade Floats

Each shelf contains over 1,300 roses

I have just returned from Pasadena, California where I had the opportunity to help decorate floats for the 125th annual Rose Parade and attend the parade. Seventeen of us worked with Petal Pushers, an organization that recruits over 5,000 volunteers each year to work on nearly a dozen floats. My job was helping prep several thousand roses that were used on eight floats. We stripped leaves, cut stems, and placed the roses in vials of water that were then inserted on the floats.

Some in our group cut the individual blossoms from dried flowers then processed the blossoms in a blender to create "paint" to be glued to large "flowers" and used for stained glass windows. Others glued rice crushed in a blender to signs, pillars, columns and any surface needing to look as if it had a smooth white finish. Yet others worked on their stomachs on scaffolding over 10 feet in the air to finish attaching coconut bark to a football. Volunteers do much of the initial work, then professionals complete the details to assure that each float meets the judging criteria, often working all night to meet the judging deadline.

Decorating begins six days before the parade and ends at noon on December 31 when the floats are judged. Once judged, the floats are then moved from their warehouses to the parade area, ready for the 8 a.m. start on New Years Day.

Seeing the completed floats at the parade was a special treat. After this special experience and understanding all the work involved, I will never view the parade in the same way again.