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New Year’s Day no doubt will be extra special for some lucky winners who took part in this year’s Ultimate Tournament of Roses Experience drawing, which supports South Pasadena’s float in the 133rd Rose Parade.
Members of the local City Council pulled the coveted tickets during their regularly scheduled Dec. 15 meeting, including newly-selected mayor Michael Cacciotti, Mayor Pro Tem Jon Primuth and former mayor Diana Mahmud, who remains as a councilmember.
First place went to Sam Hernandez, who will receive four tickets between the 40 and 50-yard lines for the Rose Bowl Game on January 1. John Yonia, the second place winner, will receive four VIP tickets in the reviewing section for the Rose Parade. The third place winner is Courtney Dunlap, who will receive $300 in cash.
Alan Vlacich, an official with the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee (SPTOR), and the organization’s president, Brant Dunlap, assisted with the drawing.
The drawing is among a series of major fundraisers conducted by the SPTOR each year, joining a golf tournament, a classic car show, and a year-end Crunch Time Party, both live and online, providing attendees to bid on hundreds of items which will help the city pay for its float – “Sky’s the Limit” – set to roll down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day.
Including steel, flowers and other materials on board, Vlacich says it costs between $80,000 – $100,000 each year to pay for the city’s floral masterpiece each year.
“This year we have a beautiful float,” said Vlacich, before showing a colorful rendering of it to the council and audience members on Wednesday night.
Two hundred tickets were up for grabs in the drawing with the goal of raising $20,000 for the city’s float in the parade.
Vlacich, who has been involved with the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses for more than 20 years, is busy with the local SPTOR committee. He also serves as co-chair of the organization’s golf tournament along with John Vandercook and is the nominating chair for incoming board members.
