Years in the Rose Parade: 7

Float Builder:
Phoenix Decorating Co.
Larry Palmer, Media Liaison
(626) 793-3174, Fax (626) 793-7187
Phone Dec. 25 - Jan. 2: (626) 375-1025
E-mail: larry.palmer@phoenixdecoratingco.com

Float Designer's Name: Dave Pittman

Float Description:
Donate Life’s seventh Rose Parade entry features the mythical phoenix, a symbol of life emerging from the ashes of death, that represents those who give life in their passing and the lives renewed through transplantation. The bird soars high above 24 float riders – all transplant recipients and family members of deceased donors – seated along a Wall of Names inspired by the National Donor Memorial in Richmond, Va. The phoenix’s tail feathers are adorned with dozens of floragraphs – portraits created with floral materials – that depict loved ones who gave life to those in need. In addition, donors across the country are memorialized in a garden of dedicated roses, with each rose vial carrying a personal message of love, hope and remembrance.

Concept:
The central figure of Donate Life’s new creation is a phoenix, the mythical symbol of life coming out of the ashes of death, rising from a bed of flames into the sky to represent the renewal of life through donation and transplantation. The bird’s tail is comprised of “floragraph feathers” adorned with portraits of deceased organ, eye and tissue donors. The Wall of Names runs the length of the float and the Wall of Tears encircles the dedicated roses at each end to represent the diversity of organ, eye and tissue donors throughout America and the family members who loved them.

Construction Dimensions: 29’H x 17’W x 55’L

Flowering Details:
The skyward-rising Phoenix Bird is feathered with silverleaf and white everlasting on its head, with red, orange and yellow strawflower plumage on its body. The bird’s tail is made up of 76 floragraphs featuring portraits of organ, eye and tissue donors and supporters of Donate Life which are created by donor and recipient families using a varied palette of organic materials including farina, cinnamon, ground strawberry seed, chili powder, ground coffee bean, parsley flakes, strawflower, palm fiber, seeds and spices. (Approximately 30 of the floragraphs are being shipped with decorating materials to families in several states around the country to enable them to participate in the creation of the portraits honoring their loved ones. The floragraphs will be returned to the families following their journey through the Rose Parade.) The flames from which the Phoenix Bird rises are aglow with yellow, white, orange, red, green and purple chrysanthemum, blue statice, and green bells of Ireland. Beneath the flames is a bed of purple, pink and lavender roses, daisies and carnations. The dedication walls surrounding the cauldron are decorated with fine ground rice with light lettuce seed grout, with lettuce seed and powdered onion seed lettering. Donors, recipients and transplant candidates from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and many countries worldwide are memorialized in a garden of roses dedicated through the Donate Life Family Circle program, with each rose vial carrying a personal message of love, hope and remembrance. The Family Circle Garden at the front and rear of the float contains yellow, orange and gold roses. The base of the float is covered with sod, roses, daisies and carnations accented with floral arrangements including orchids, gladiolus, roses, bells of Ireland, billy buttons, anthuriums, birds of paradise and magdalena ting.

Animation: N/A

Float Participants:
Highlighting 100 stories of new life rising, Donate Life’s float participants come from across the U.S.:

• 24 float riders, each a transplant recipient or family member of an organ, eye or tissue donor;
• 76 deceased organ, eye and tissue donors depicted on floragraphs.
• More than 1,000 roses from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and many countries dedicated through the Donate Life Family Circle rose dedication program.

Donate Life is a not-for-profit alliance of local affiliates and national organizations dedicated to inspiring all people to donate life through organ, eye and tissue donation. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life in every corner of the country are in need of life-saving and healing gifts that are possible only through organ, eye and tissue donation. The float’s national campaign is coordinated by OneLegacy, the non-profit, federally designated organ and tissue recovery organization serving the seven-county greater Los Angeles area, and is supported by more than 60 organizations nationwide.