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Ed Donnelly volunteered to become president of the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee because of a deep personal interest in maintaining the organization’s long-standing tradition, coupled with a desire to sustain the city’s participation in the Rose Parade for another 100 years.
But after his first year in the role, Donnelly says he learned something more important, noting, “I am not just dedicating my time to a float. I am standing side by side with an amazing bunch of volunteers who I am proud to call friends.”
It’s those dozens of individuals, a hardworking group, many giving up their nights and weekends to toil under a giant tent behind the War Memorial Building in the 400 block of Fair Oaks Avenue throughout much of the year, who Donnelly proudly acknowledges makes it happen.
“We wouldn’t have a float without them,” he often says, recognizing the value of those making tremendous contributions behind the scenes.
Work on the float is underway, and will pick up significantly later this summer in wake of SPTOR’s unveiling of its newest float design – “Seas the Day” – “as a celebration of friendship and an innocent childhood sense of adventure,” explained Donnelly, praising the rendering used to complete the finished product that will roll along the 5 ½-mile route down Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard in front of thousands, and millions more television viewers.
The city’s entry will feature three friends – a duck, a frog and a turtle “that have cobbled together a raft and are setting sail,” said the SPTOR president, and having “the Best Day Ever” – which just happens to be the overall theme of the upcoming 136th annual parade.
With a long history of winning awards over the years, the best day ever might be January 1, 2025 should the city earn another, but simply being a part of the floral spectacle each year is what it’s all about in the eyes of Donnelly.
“South Pasadena has had a volunteer built float in every parade since 1913, and some in even earlier parades dating back to 1890,” he said. “This makes us the oldest continuous float in the parade. We love our community and are proud to represent them in front of millions of people on national TV every year (at least since television was invented).”
While earning acclaim with the special recognition is always welcome, Donnelly stressed, “We build the best float we can to represent the spirit of the city. This is reflected this year by honoring all of the young families that have moved to town recently with the youthful characters riding their self-built boat. That hard work is rewarded by our pride in doing the best we can with limited funding and limited resources.”
In January, on New Year’s Day ahead of the most recent parade, the city walked off with the prestigious Founder Award for its “Boogie Fever” float. A year earlier, South Pasadena garnered the Bob Hope Humor Award for “Spark of Imagination,” and in 2022 the Founder Award was earned again, this time for “Sky’s the Limit.”
Typically, a float constructed and decorated by residents, area community members and a sprinkling fulfilling a bucket list item from around the country, even other countries, can cost well over $100,000, occasionally hovering around $150,000.
“We rely on our community for donations for everything,” insisted Donnelly. “If the Tournament of Roses organization recognizes our efforts with an award we will accept it with pride but there is no motivation to win a specific prize or designation.”
To donate, or find out more about getting on board as a volunteer, go to SPTOR.com.
