August 2018 – The Rose Examiner

Marching band photos from the 2018 Rose Parade: Across the United States

On: August 27, 2018 By: LBM

Westlake High School Marching Thunder, Saratoga Springs, Utah

by Laura Berthold Monteros

Marching units that are invited to the Tournament of Roses Parade are among the highest quality in the United States. Their musicality and marching precision must meet rigorous standards. A high school band cannot march in the parade more often than once every four years, so almost all the students are new—and excited—when they walk along Colorado Blvd.

This photo gallery includes marching entries in the 129^th Rose Parade from east of the Rockies.

Londonderry High School The Marching Lancer Band and Color Guard, Londonderry, N.H.
University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, Amherst, Mass.
Louisburg High School Marching Wildcat Band, Louisburg, Kan.
Albertville High School “Aggie” Band, Albertville, Ala.
Ronald Reagan High School Marching Band, San Antonio, Texas
Westlake High School Marching Thunder, Saratoga Springs, Utah
Pennsbury High School “Long Orange Line” Marching Band, Fairless Hills, Pa.
Lindbergh “Spirit of St. Louis” Marching Band, St. Louis, Mo.

For other articles on marching bands, as well as floats and equestrians, check out the 2018 Rose Parade page.

Londonderry High School The Marching Lancer Band and Color Guard, Londonderry, N.H.

University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, Amherst, Mass.

Louisburg High School Marching Wildcat Band, Louisburg, Kan.

Albertville High School “Aggie” Band, Albertville, Ala.

Ronald Reagan High School Marching Band, San Antonio, Texas

Pennsbury High School "Long Orange Line" Marching Band, Fairless Hills, Pa.

Lindbergh "Spirit of St. Louis" Marching Band, St. Louis, Mo.

Marching band photos from the 2018 Rose Parade: International and local

On: August 27, 2018 By: LBM

Burlington Teen Tour Band from Ontario, Canada carried the flags of the Canadian provinces and territories in the 2018 Rose Parade.

by Laura Berthold Monteros

Marching units come from all over the world to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade. The bands, with their drill teams, flags, and banners bring international color and music that represents their countries. The different styles or marching, particularly from the Japanese bands that display dance moves along with their music, added flair to the 129^th Rose Parade.

The marching entries in this photo gallery include both international and California local units, plus one from Colorado.

Kyoto Tachibana High School Green Band, Fushimi-ky, Kyoto, Japan
Australia’s Marching Koalas, Newcastle, South New Wales, Australia
Air Academy High School Marching Band, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Burlington Teen Tour Band, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Homestead High School Mighty Mustang Marching Band, Cupertino, Calif.
Banda de Música Herberto López, Chitré, Panama
Santiago High School “The Boss” (Bands of the Santiago Sharks), Corona, Calif.

For other articles on marching bands, as well as floats and equestrians, check out the 2018 Rose Parade page.

Kyoto Tachibana High School Green Band, Fushimi-ky, Kyoto, Japan

Australia's Marching Koalas, Newcastle, South New Wales, Australia

Air Academy High School Marching Band, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Burlington Teen Tour Band, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Homestead High School Mighty Mustang Marching Band, Cupertino, Calif.

Banda de Música Herberto López, Chitré, Panama

Santiago High School "The Boss" (Bands of the Santiago Sharks), Corona, Calif.

Puerto Rican band needs funds for 2019 Rose Parade

On: August 23, 2018August 24, 2018 By: LBM

by Laura Berthold Monteros

In September, 2017, the United States territory of Puerto Rico was pounded by Hurricane Maria. Businesses, homes, and vital services were destroyed. Some families lost everything they had. The wind and rain not only devastated the commonwealth, it has nearly sunk the dreams of a group of talented high schoolers headed for the Jan. 1, 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade.

Each entry in the Rose Parade must cover its own expenses—equipment, travel, food, lodging, and incidentals. Puerto Rico is slowly recovering, but not sufficiently for Banda Escolar De Guayanilla to raise the necessary funds to make it to Pasadena. Many of the kids families lost their homes or work, and money is in short supply. The organization has turned to Go Fund Me to raise support.

The goal is $190,000—yes, that’s how much it costs to get a marching unit here—but as of this writing, has only raised $760. This is the first time your Rose Examiner has ever asked for readers to give to a cause. Please consider giving to this one. Share the link with others who might be willing to give, post it on Facebook or Twitter or other social media.

Let’s get these kids to Pasadena!

Inspiring health and well-being through beauty in the 2018 Rose Parade

On: August 4, 2018 By: LBM

Northwestern Mutual is celebrating five years of its Childhood Cancer Program. “Letting Kids Be Kids” features scenes from camps like ones the kids on the float have attended. Pediatric oncologist and Camp Periwinkle medical director Dr. ZoAnn Dreyer and her husband Dr. Deff Dreyer are on the porch

by Laura Berthold Monteros

Inspiring people to live healthier and happier lives by creating scenes in flowers is a frequent message of Rose Parade floats. The floats in the gallery below presented themes of fun, food, and fearlessness in the 129^th Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2018.

Here’s the basic info on each; riders and flowering are in the captions. Be sure to check out the 2018 Rose Parade page for a listing of all the articles about floats on TheRoseExaminer.com.

Kaiser Permanente, “Inspiring Healthy Communities,” Fiesta Parade Floats, Stanley Meyer designer
Miracle-Gro, “150 Years of Growing,” Fiesta Parade Floats, Stanley Meyer
Northwestern Mutual, “Letting Kids Be Kids,” Fiesta Parade Floats, Stanley Meyer
The Forum, “The Story Lives On,” Phoenix Decorating Company
24 Hour Fitness, “Proud Sponsor of Everyday Athletes,” AES, John Ramirez designer
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, “Keeping the Promise,” Fiesta Parade Floats, Art Aguirre designer
Lucy Pet, “Paws for Life,” Fiesta Parade Floats, Mike Abboud designer; here’s a video to go with it: https://youtu.be/C-Opm9b2WDk

All photos are copyrighted. Contact administrator for permissions.

Swaying veggies, swinging apples, and twisting pea pods joined animated insects on the Kaiser Permanente float, which had 46 individual moving parts. It took 7,000 volunteer hours to complete. Riders were Chefs Neil Fraser and Linda Watson, Devon and Sean Adelman, Dr. Kenneth Lopez, Teri Yamasake RN, Alice Rolls, Margaret Dekoven, Linda Ginenthal.

Outwalkers included 25 Hollywood High School students, plus physicians from the school’s wellness center, run by Kaiser Permanente. More 12,000 green roses and 4,000 Santana orange roses were used. Thousands of fresh fruits and vegetables dotted the gardens.

Miracle-Gro kicked off its 150th year by celebrating backyard gardens. The float featured 150 different botanical materials from six continents, including fresh vegetables and soil-less grass. Flowers included roses (more than 20,000), lilies, tulips, daffodils, lisianthus, hydrangea, tuberose, narcissus, iris, liatris, forsythia, gerbera, delphinium, larkspur, and dendrobium.

Ty Pennington flipped flower “burgers” on the smoking grill, with Olin Snakenborg of Torrance, father and son Tyler and Ryker from Seattle, Mary Kimball from West Sacramento, and Shirly Barrett and Emmanuel "Manny" Garcia (Muir HS Ranch) from Pasadena Unified School District.

Northwestern Mutual showed even kids with cancer enjoy camping. At the flickering campfire are Chris Serrano, blind since he was a toddler, and Scott Cohen, his counselor from Camp Ronald McDonald. In near canoe: Mary Perkins, NjoyItAll Camp, and her cousin Nina; far canoe: brothers Bennett Unger, Camp One Step, and brother Boden. Note the observer in the right corner.

“Letting Kids Be Kids” was flowered with 12,000 Mokara and Golden Shower orchids. 12,000 blue iris, and 10,000 peach and coral roses. Animation: The canoes “raced” each other, sliding past each other; fish jumped, ducks circled on the lake, smoke billowed from the chimney.

It may look like an oversized birthday cake, frosted with white mums and red carnations, but there’s a surprise inside. The entry and deck of the Fabulous Forum is carpeted with red, yellow, and orange roses, orchids, and white iris. More than 193,000 flowers were used.

Earth, Wind & Fire rose out of the Forum on a giant elevator to the roars of the crowd. This was the band’s first appearance on a Rose Parade float. The 27-foot-tall video board tower, a replica of the iconic board in Inglewood, showed video and special 50th anniversary messages.

The Forum in Inglewood celebrates its 50th anniversary with Earth, Wind & Fire. The Forum was built to house the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as to host concerts and other large events.

24 Hour Fitness celebrated winter sports and medal-winning athletes on “Proud Sponsor of Everyday Athletes.” Represented are Elana Meyers Taylor, first black bobsled pilot to win an Olympic medal and first US woman to win two; freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy; and Paralympic sled hockey player Rico Roman.

Paralympist and military veteran Rico Roman rode the float with 24 Hour Fitness trainers, while 20 GX instructors accompanied the float. Flowering included more than 12,000 yellow, pick, white, red, and orange roses; 11,000 carnations; and 2,000 orchids.

For the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., AIDS Healthcare Foundation honored the civil rights leader with a depiction of the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965. AHF and its outreach Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Committee stated, ‘Sadly, with the recent turn of events in Charlottesville and elsewhere in the country regarding civil rights and other social justice issues… “Keeping the Promise”…gained all the more resonance as AHF's 2018 theme.”

Riders on the AIDS Healthcare Foundation float were Susan Bro, representing her daughter Heather Heyer, and Alfred Wilson, ED and co-founder with Pres. Bro of the Heather Heyer Foundation; Cynthia Davis, MPH and the Rev. Kelvin Sauls, both AHF board members; two youths who won the #StandAgainstHate essay contest. The observer stands behind.

The monument is about one-third the size of the MLK Stone of Hope in Washington D.C. The float was flowered with 20,000 red Freedom roses, iris, orchids, anthuriums, amaryllis, gladiolus, tulips, lilies, and carnations.

Lucy Pet salutes heroic animals: search dog Rocket and firefighter Mike Stornetta, teacup chihuahua Dixie-Wixie with Danny Trejo, Sirius with Tammie Ashley, mother of his deceased Marine handler, Jax with handler Senior Officer Daniel Casson. On the front are Surfin’ Jack, Coppertone, and Lucy with Ally Barron, Bailey Herrick, Van Bush and Keaton Yellin.

A YouTube star, Tara the cat saved then 4-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo from a vicious dog who pulled him off his bike. Tara jumped a dog five times her size and chased him down the street, then returned to check on Jeremy. Riding with Tara and Jeremy are his parents, Roger and Erica.

A rescue helicopter hovers up and down and the propellers spin over the Lucy Pet float. Flowering included 15,000 red Freedom roses, with arrangements and deck gardens of long-stemmed roses, anthuriums, carnations, and ilex berries. Floragraphs used onion and poppy seed and rice to create a palette of nine shades.

We didn’t get a shot of the entire Lucy Pet float, so this rendering, courtesy Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, will give an idea of its scope. The rotating octagon pictured a military working dog, FEMA dog, K9 police team, dog in boots and harness, Sgt. Joshua Ashley with Sirius, canines and handlers rappelling from a Blackhawk, and Tara, the cat that saved a child from a dog attack.

Be a princess—or a queen! Rose Parade Royal Court applications are open for 2019

On: August 1, 2018 By: LBM

The 2018 Royal Court: center, 100th Rose Queen Isabella Marez; clockwise from top right, Rose Princesses Georgia Cervenka, Savannah Bradley, Lauren Buehner, Alexandra Artura, Sydney Pickering, and Julianne Lauenstein

by Laura Berthold Monteros

Each year, the Tournament of Roses takes seven regular, yet extraordinary, young women and turns them into a Royal Court with six princesses and one Rose Queen. Applications opened today for the 130^th Rose Parade, to be held on Jan. 1, 2019. The women will represent the Tournament and City of Pasadena in the parade and at the 105^th Rose Bowl Game, and perform duties from the time of selection through the selection of the next court in 2019. More information is available on the Royal Court webpage and the online application here.

The first round of tryouts is held over two days, Saturday, Sept. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 10 from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.at Tournament House, 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena. Schools are assigned specific time slots, but if an applicant cannot be there at that time, she may come during any of the tryout hours. In the first round, each applicant has 15 seconds in front of the Queen & Court Committee to state her badge number and why she wants to be on the Royal Court. The 11-member selection committee will not ask any questions nor ask the applicant to begin speaking.

Advice from previous Court members is to be confident, be genuine, and be yourself. The Tournament suggests wearing something that feels comfortable, reflects the girl’s personality, and will make a good first impression. This columnist has noticed that almost all the girls wear dresses, and many wear the same dress for the entire round of interviews. Participants are selected based upon a combination of qualities, including public speaking ability, poise, academic achievement, and community and school involvement.

To participate, an applicant must

Be a female, at least 17 years of age by December 31, 2018, and not more than 21 years of age before January 5, 2019
Be a resident of the Pasadena Area Community College District and able to provide verification of residence
Be a senior in high school or enrolled as a full-time student (minimum 12 units) in any accredited school or college in the Pasadena Area Community College District
Possess at least a 2.0 grade point average in both the current and previous years’ course work and able to provide verification of same
Be available to participate in person in all scheduled interview sessions
Register and complete the official Royal Court online application

At the tryouts, former Royal Court members brief applicants on what to expect and are available to answer questions. Tours of the historic Wrigley Mansion are offered and all the applicants are gifted with a rose, photo, official Rose Parade poster, and a ticket for two to the Royal Ball, a semi-formal dance hosted by the Tournament of Roses at the Pasadena Convention Center on Sept. 14.

Most of the 100 or so appearances occur from mid-October to the first week in January. For the many hours they serve, the young women on the Royal Court receive both tangible and intangible benefits. They serve in a world-renowned volunteer community, develop public speaking and etiquette skills, and receive a small educational scholarship, full wardrobe for appearances, and professional hairstyling, make-up application and instruction. Former Royal Court members also say they make lifelong friends.

The Royal Court is chosen from a field of around 900 applicants. Approximately 250 participants will be invited back for a second round of interviews; from that group, about 75 young women will be asked to participate in the third round of interviews. In late September, approximately 25 to 35 candidates will be announced as finalists. The seven-member Royal Court will be announced on Oct. 1 at Tournament House. The announcement and coronation of the Rose Queen is scheduled for the evening of Oct. 23.