If you’ve never done it, you should!  It is an amazing experience!  This year the theme for the parade was “Making A Difference.”  And as Rotarians, that is what we are all about!

 

For as long as I can remember, my family gathered together on January 1^st to watch the Rose Parade.  When I was very small, we listened to it on the radio.  Before we acquired our first television, we gathered at a neighbor’s to watch on a black & white television.  We couldn’t see the beautiful colors but we could see and imagine how beautiful it must have been in person.  Color television then arrived and we all were so amazed at the technology that brought that beauty to us.  But nothing, nothing is as beautiful as it is “in person.” 

 

Rotary has had a parade entry for the past 39 consecutive years, since 1980.  Our club participated in working on the Rotary Float in 2011.  This year we had 13 valiant volunteers who helped on the Rotary Float for 2018, a cute but huge rabbit atop a 35 foot float with the theme of “Planting the Seeds of Service.”  Five adventurous members worked on the float from the top of the scaffolding, mostly affixing the Pampas grass to the rabbit’s ears and face; the rest were worker bees who clipped the petals off tiny flowers for use on areas of the float. We were on an earlier shift, so didn’t get to add floral décor, but we could see the huge shipments of flowers arriving while we were there.  Flowers go on 1-2 days prior to the parade so they are fresh on January 1.

 

This was the first year our Rotary float was constructed at the Phoenix Decorating Company facility in Irwindale.  There were about 14 other floats being constructed there as well.  Our float this year was awarded the “Princess Trophy” for the best entry 35 foot or less!  Way to Go Rotary!

 

So why a Rotary float in the parade?  We hope the message of Rotary, Service Above Self, will be displayed for all the world to see.  We hope it will encourage others to participate in Rotary.  We hope the message of Rotary of Peace, Fighting Disease, Providing Clean Water, Supporting Education, Saving Mothers and Children and Growing Local Economies around the world, will be spread to everyone in the world audience.  Our float is funded by generous donations from Rotarians and is viewed by over 45 million viewers in the USA and 28 million more around the world.  Volunteers will donate over 6,000 hours in preparing decorations and applying them to the float.  In 2017 the parade was broadcast to over 200 countries and territories outside the USA.  Happy New Year to all in 2018!

 

 

Harriet Clune

President 2017-2018

Rotary Club Ventura East