Dec. 29, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
PASADENA TOURNAMENT
OF ROSES ASSOCIATION
Caryn Eaves or Vanessa Flores
(626) 449-4100
Vote for Your Favorite Float in the Rose Parade
PASADENA -- For the first time ever, the public will choose one of the 2009 Rose Parade float award winners on New Year's Day -- and students working on the 61st annual Cal Poly Rose Float team are urging Mustang parents, alumni and university friends to support the Cal Poly Entry with their Web votes.
The Tournament of Roses is partnering with Los Angeles television station KTLA to allow viewers of the 2009 Rose Parade to go online and vote for their favorite float. The winner will receive the inaugural Viewers’ Choice Award on Jan. 2.
Voting takes place online on January 1, 2009, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. at www.ktla.com/roseparade.
Video of the Rose Parade in its entirety will also be available on the KTLA Web site for viewers to see the floats again or catch the Parade for the first time if they missed it on television. The winner of the Viewers Choice Award will be announced at the Post Parade Showcase of Floats, in front of the float, on the KTLA Morning News on January 2.
The Cal Poly float is the only entry in the annual Tournament of Roses parade that is designed, built, and decorated solely by students and volunteers -- a tradition that dates back to 1949. Students at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and California State Polytechnic University Pomona design and build the float each year. Students in the Rose Float programs at each campus build half of the float, which is trucked to the Pomona campus every November. The students spend their weekends assembling the float in Pomona. Students, parents, alumni and volunteers put the finishing touches -- including flowers -- on the float in Pasadena during 'Deco Week' before the New Year's Parade.
Cal Poly's 2009 float is titled "Seaside Amusement." It's set to feature a working ferris wheel, a roller coaster and a parachute drop. Cal Poly planted more than 2,000 marigolds and asters to use on the float. The 2008 float, "Guardians of Harmony," won the parade's Fantasy Trophy. It will be the 57th entry in the parade, said Cal Poly Rose Float Club Coordinator Josh D'Acquisto.
"We would like to do our best to notify the Cal Poly Community about the Viewer's Choice award - watch for the float New Year's Day, get on the web, and vote!" D'Acquisto said.
Click here to see photos of the construction of the 2009 Cal Poly Rose Float under construction before the parade.
Of the 46 float entries in the 120th Rose Parade, 43 will be eligible for judging, and 25 will receive awards in a variety of categories -- including the new Viewers’ Choice Award. The traditional task of judging the magnificent floats from a professional perspective will fall to the 2009 float judges: Richard Koshalek, Sharon Loving and Beverly White.
“The Rose Parade has always been ‘America’s New Year Celebration.’ We are so happy to be able to give America (and the rest of the world) a chance to let us know what float is their favorite. We have wanted to provide this opportunity for Rose Parade fans for a very long time,” said Laura Farber, chairperson of the Tournament of Roses Judging Committee. “We know that the winning float sponsor will be especially honored knowing that this award was chosen by the people.”
The theme for this year's parade is "Hats Off to Entertainment." The judges’ scores for the traditional 24 awards are based on criteria such as creative design, floral craftsmanship, artistic merit, computerized animation, thematic interpretation, floral and color presentation, and dramatic impact. Rose Parade Judges Koshalek, Loving and White were appointed by the Tournament’s Judging Committee.
Preview: 2009 Float Work slideshow
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Slideshow: 2008 Cal Poly Rose Float
Slideshow: 2007 Rose Float
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