Donate Life (#45)
Float Theme: Life Transformed A life touched by organ and tissue donation and transplantation is a "Life Transformed." Through their personal trials and triumphs, each of the Donate Life float riders has undergone a physical, emotional and spiritual transformation that reaches beyond them to their families and communities. Donate Life presents 23 float riders from across the country surrounded by new life that has sprung forth from the shelter of a fallen tree: birds, butterflies, a caterpillar and flowers cascading from the tree trunk. The float riders—living organ donors, family members of organ and tissue donors, and transplant recipients—together represent the countless lives that have been saved and strengthened through donation. The Family Circle Garden at the front of the float features hundreds of roses in water-filled vials, each tagged with the name of an organ/tissue donor, transplant recipient or person on the waiting list.
The float is decorated by hundreds of donor family members celebrating their loved ones and transplant recipients honoring their organ donors. The logos on each side are presented in both English and Spanish ("Done Vida")—a first in the 117-year history of the Tournament of Roses.
Downey Rose Float Association (#81)
Float Theme: Polar Wonderland
The Downey float depicts a wintry snow globe with polar bears inside. The globe has broken, and the polar bears have magically come to life and are escaping the snow globe. Tropical flowers with 3,000 white roses, 3,500 orchids and 1,500 irises produce the snowy effect. Float riders include Miss Downey 2006, Robyn Guggiana, joined by her princesses Justine Akil, Krystal Duncans, Amanda Thoreson and Jacqueline Munoz.
The Downey Rose Float Association first entered the parade in 1913, became incorporated in 1952 and has entered a float in the parade every year since. Float decorators are all volunteers; some have worked on the floats since they were small children and now they bring their own children.
City of Duarte, California/City of Hope National Medical Center (#70)
Float Theme: The Magic of Healthy Eating
The City of Duarte and City of Hope National Medical Center have joined together to celebrate their 33rd float entry by showcasing the importance of a healthy diet. Hidden deep in this fanciful garden—beyond the colorful toadstools, below the fragrant flowers and between the blades of grass—a family of whimsical bugs relishes in a fun-filled picnic of refreshing and healthy fruits and vegetables. Float riders, actual pediatric cancer patients and caregivers from City of Hope, enjoy their own picnic of healthy snacks.
There is no beauty like that of the garden, where creativity and imaginations are brought to together celebrating life, health, growth and nature. This whimsical garden scene features a kaleidoscope of flowers including hot pink, orange, coral and yellow roses, yellow and orange gerbera daisies, green Bells of Ireland, blue delphinium, lavender liatris, white Monte Casino and pink tulips. Bugs are artistically created in peach lentil seed and green parsley flakes with accents of yellow and green button mums.
Eastman Kodak Co. (#68)
Float Theme: Magic of the Movies
Kodak presents a blockbuster entry honoring the magic of how movies are made—a subject that has fascinated audiences around the world for decades. From the futuristic ET to westerns, romance, mystery and comedy films, Kodak's float honors them all. In addition to live riders and representations displayed on a giant, ever-changing, floragraphic, tri-vision screen, eye-catching movie scenes are included on the over-100-foot film strip that winds around the float. All this action and movie magic is captured by three camera operators. The camera crane moves up and down, swooping in for close-up shots of the stars on this moving set, as spotlights swivel to highlight the stars. The turntable at the center of the float, with actors and camera operator, revolves 360 degrees.
Kodak has participated in the Rose Parade for 41 years and was a pioneer in still photography and the movie industry. The company also has the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, the site of the annual Academy Awards ceremony.
ESPN (#58)
Float Theme: The Magic of Sports in High Definition
ESPN and ABC Sports present a vibrant float that captures the excitement of a game being experienced through a high-definition television. Thousands of beautiful roses accentuate this action-packed scene as two football players leap out of the screen to illustrate how sports moments magically come to life when they are viewed in high definition. Seated at the opposite end of the float, experiencing the magic firsthand, are actual fans of the two teams playing in the Rose Bowl Game National Championship presented by Citi.
ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ABC Sports HD have combined to offer 24 of 25 post-season college bowl games in high definition, including the Rose Bowl Game.
Farmers Insurance Group (#23)
Float Theme: Protecting Your Family
The magic of a mother's love is demonstrated by a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex in Farmers' 47th entry in the Rose Parade. The prehistoric mama dinosaur, clad in a frilly apron and wielding a cooking spoon, makes it clear that protecting family was a primary instinct—even eons ago—as she shields her baby T-Rex from a pair of Deinonychus.
A wide selection of produce is used to achieve a prehistoric look for the Tyrannosaurus and Deinonychus, accented by a garden of roses, orchids, irises and daisies. The head and tail of the giant T-Rex are animated, swinging to and fro.
