Downey Tournament of Roses Parade float gets finishing touches

Volunteers in Downey put the finishing touches of the city's 48-foot long, 18-foot wide and 29-foot tall float the, "Dew Drop By," on Saturday, as the countdown to the New Year continued.

The 2013 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade marks a century of participation since the city of Downey's first float rolled along the Parade route in 1913.

Although the city has missed a few parades in that time, it has participated for 60 consecutive years.

This year's float, with its English garden and hobbit look, will depict the Parade theme "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

For decoration week, which began Wednesday and ends today, up to 350 volunteers worked diligently on the Downey float.

"We have several groups of people, whether school groups or just friends that want to come down and decorate," said Kelley Roberts, the president and construction chairman for the Downey Rose Float Association. "They are decorating each component of the float. The first couple of days is devoted to dry material. Once the dry material is done we start putting on all the fresh flowers."

Flowers decorating the float will include; about 12,000 roses, 7,000 orchids, carnations and several more, he said.

In 2012, the city's float won the Founder's Trophy for most beautiful float built and decorated by volunteers from a community or organization.

In 2011, the float won the Lathrop K. Leishman Award for the prettiest entry not sponsored

by a commercial firm. It is one of the few floats in the parade built entirely by volunteers.

This year's float was designed last spring by Roberts, Jason Redfox, Jeff Shattuck and Tom Neighbors and was completely funded through donations and fundraising, Roberts said.

"We get zero funds from the city," he said. "The more money we could get can really change what I can do. If we got more money I could make every piece of that float move."

Aboard the float will be Miss Downey and her court all dressed as fairies with a beautiful garden and spring, Roberts said.

Roberts, who has worked with the Association for 33 years, has never lost the excitement of designing and building something the world enjoys, he said.

"I take a picture, bring it into a three dimensional reality and over 800,000 people see it live along the parade route, 72 countries see it live and is rebroadcasted in 220 countries. That's a pretty good model."

The float must be completed by 9 a.m., Dec. 31 when begins it's six hour trek to Pasadena. It travels at three to five mph, Roberts said.

The 124th Rose Parade will take place 8 a.m. Jan. 1 featuring marching bands from throughout the nation, floral floats, and equestrian units.

pam.hale@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1476

Follow Pamela Hale-Burns on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PamelaHaleBurns

Source: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_22280541/downey-tournament-roses-parade-float-gets-finishing-touches?source=rss

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