Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network > News & Views > News Blog > On New Year’s Day, Global TV Audience Will See DONATE LIFE Float in Rose Parade
On New Year’s Day, Global TV Audience Will See DONATE LIFE Float in Rose Parade
December 30th, 2014 by Nancy Ryan
During the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on Thursday, January 1, 2015, the Donate Life Float will be the 27th of 39 floats in the line-up. The Rose Parade will be seen by 800,000 spectators, up to 40 million U.S. television viewers, and millions more in many countries around the world.
Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network and the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Solid Organ Transplant Program are pleased to be honoring the following people at the Rose Parade:
- Laurie LoMonaco: Living kidney donor to a stranger. Laurie will walk alongside the Donate Life Float.
- Paul Guyette: Deceased organ donor, represented by his loving wife, Mary, and daughters. Be sure to look for a floragraph in Paul’s likeness that memorializes him, and will adorn the float.
- Gaetano “Gates” Orlando: Heart transplant recipient and Rochester Americans Hall of Famer. Paul Guyette was his donor. Gates will be riding on the Donate Life Float.
The theme of the 2015 Donate Life Float is “The Never-Ending Story.” It reflects the compassion, courage and life-changing experiences of organ, eye and tissue donors and recipients.
The Donate Life Float also reflects the overall parade theme, “Inspiring Stories,” which encourages everyone to celebrate the many people who elevate the human spirit.
Here’s What You Need to Know:
- The telecast of the 126th Annual Rose Parade on January 1, 2015 will begin at 11 a.m. Eastern Time.
- The Rose Parade will air on several networks, including ABC, NBC, HGTV and the Hallmark Channel. Check your local broadcast listings for more information.
- The Donate Life Float (number 27 in the line-up) will appear after:
– Legacy High School Lightning Marching Band
– AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s float (“Protecting Global Health”)
– Old Spanish Days (“Fiesta in Santa Barbara”)
Tags: 2015, Donate Life float, Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, Gates Orlando, Laurie LoMonaco, Mary Guyette, organ donation, organ transplant, Paul Guyette, Rose Parade, University of Rochester Medical University