Closing in on the target date of January 1, South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee Chairperson Ed Donnelly has some good news.
“We are right on schedule,” he said, talking about efforts underway to put the city’s float – “Seas the Day” – on the starting line for its 5 ½-mile journey down Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard for the 136th Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
Heads Up! For tickets to this year’s Crunch Time Party, scheduled for December 29 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the War Memorial Building, to donate and get involved in the float, go to SPTOR.org
A battalion of construction workers recently handed the float over to a team of decorators who immediately went into action, painting the float deck, characters and other components on board.
From here on out, it’s full speed ahead, right up to when it goes into overdrive, customarily known simply as “Crunch Time” at the worksite inside a giant tent in town behind the War Memorial Building on Fair Oaks Avenue in the days leading up to the big event.
“We will begin getting deliveries of flowers in the next few weeks,” explained Donnelly, noting that a multitude of volunteers will be called on to cover the float’s surface with a huge floral display, along with other materials, ahead of official visits by Tournament of Roses judges ahead of the event.
No stranger to winning, South Pasadena has won an award five out of the past six parades, including three in a row. Last January, the city garnered the prestigious Founder Award for its “Boogie Fever” themed float. A year earlier, the city’s “Spark of Imagination” float won the Bob Hope Humor Award and in 2022 the Founder Trophy also went to the city for “Dream. Believe. Achieve.”
South Pasadena’s yearly entry is among six self-built floats, a labor of love constructed entirely by volunteers, built 100 percent with donor funded dollars, joining others like it – Burbank, Sierra Madre, La Cañada, Cal Poly University, and Downey – in the parade. Most floats showcased have large amounts of commercial money backing them.
For well over 100 years, South Pasadena has been a part of the lavish yearly kickoff known as “America’s New Year Celebration,” and today the city is proudly recognized as having the oldest float in the parade. The newest entry, designed by Rene Hoss-Johnson, was chosen from dozens of ideas the community submitted back in January. Inspired by the overall theme of the parade – “Best Day Ever” – it features three friends who have made a makeshift raft and are paddling out on the water for a carefree afternoon adventure.
“We chose Rene’s design because it represents the spirit of all of the young families who live here,” said Donnelly, a longtime South Pasadena resident. “When considering how to embrace the parade theme, our design committee thought about their own personal experiences during childhood.”
Once the design is selected, soon work on the float’s chassis begins, as a core group of about two dozen individuals labor year-round, often giving up their weekends, setting out to construct the best float possible. Simultaneously, paying for the budgeted $150,000 to build it – the bulk coming from the cost of steel and flowers – a series of fundraisers are scheduled, among them a golf tournament, the sale of tent sponsorship banners, major raffle for Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game tickets, and a year-end Crunch Time Party, featuring dinner, a silent and live auction, further enhanced with an online version, all help to defray the huge price tag.
“They are passionate about keeping this long-running tradition alive,” Donnelly praised of the dedicated workforce. “We are supplemented by hundreds of volunteers who join us in the final weeks to finish decorating the float.
Of course, many in the community appreciating the civic pride the float brings, traditionally make a donation. “On behalf of the float team, I want to express our deep gratitude for the generosity of our community for supporting our efforts,” said Donnelly, genuinely moved by the goodwill of others. “From the small business owners who sponsor banners in the tent to the community members who participate in any of our many fundraisers, we are immensely thankful.”
Help to build it seemingly comes from everywhere, way beyond the city’s borders. Over the years, all 50 states have been represented in providing support, as well a number of countries around the world.
Donnelly, wrapping up his second year as the SPTOR committee chair, oversees monthly meetings in the city council chambers at City Hall, where the floats development, fundraising efforts and other issues are key topics. He plans on coming back for one more year in the role.
“Aside from making sure our team has the resources we need to get the float built on time and on budget, I have taken a serious look at what we need to do to sustain this long-running community tradition for another hundred years,” explained Donnelly. “To achieve this, we are working with the city towards building a permanent home for the float near the War Memorial Building.
In that vein, he’s often reminded of what the late Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, among the best in his generation, once said: “Tradition is not the worship of ashes but the transmission of fire.”
To that end, knowing what the float means to so many South Pasadenans, Donnelly insists: “I want to be sure we keep this fire lit for decades to come.”
For tickets to this year’s Crunch Time Party, scheduled for December 29 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the War Memorial Building, to donate and get involved in the float, go to SPTOR.org
