Lance Tibbet, president of the 129th Tournament of Roses, presented the just-issued Sweepstakes cup to Dole Packaged foods for its 2017 float, “Spirit of Hawaii.” L-R, Dole Packaged Foods Pres. Brad Bartlett, VP Marketing David Spare, Fiesta Parade Floats Pres. Tim Estes, and Tibbet. All photos copyright LB Monteros
by Laura Berthold Monteros
With an unprecedented run of garnering the prestigious Tournament of Roses Sweepstakes award for six of the last seven years, Dole Packaged Foods had another first on Tuesday when the company was presented with the new silver Sweepstakes cup. The award was for the 2017 Rose Parade entry “Spirit of Hawaii,” a gorgeous tribute to the Dole relationship with that state. Lance Tibbet, president of the 129th Tournament of Roses that will be held on Jan. 1, 2018, made the presentation at DPF headquarters in Westlake Village.
Vice President of Marketing David Spare used the occasion to announce that Dole will sponsor an eighth entry in the 2018 parade, which has the theme “Making a Difference.” He said, “The theme is terrific and timely, and fits with the things Dole is doing [to help people] along the way.” The goal is always to create the most beautiful float possible, he said, praising the contribution
This Sweepstakes Trophy is the first actual cup in decades to be awarded. The Tournament of Roses logo and name of sponsor, float, and builder are on the front. On the back is a medallion of roses.
s of Tim Estes, president and Jim Hynd, VP and floral director of Fiesta Parade floats, as well as the Dole associates who decorate the float.
Brad Bartlett, president of Dole Packaged Foods, said he is humbled to be presented with the Sweepstakes Trophy. “We’re proud to be a part of the Tournament of Roses,” he said. “A brand is difficult to maintain over 129 years. We’re 166 years old. It fits very well with who our company is.”
A trophy in hand
Float sponsors have not been given actual trophies for many decades, so the reinstatement of the Sweepstakes cup was quite an event. The award is for “most beautiful entry, encompassing float design, floral presentation, and entertainment.” Tibbet said the Tournament decided to have a tangible trophy “because in everybody’s mind, the Sweepstakes Continue reading “Dole Packaged Foods presented with Sweepstakes cup for 2017 Rose Parade entry”→
“Soar Beyond Imagination” by Netflix won the Craftsman Trophy in the 2017 Rose Parade. It depicted images from the film The Little Prince.
by Laura Berthold Monteros
Dole Packaged Foods once again won the Sweepstakes Trophy for “most beautiful entry in parade with outstanding floral presentation and design,” its sixth in seven years of Rose Parade participation. Newcomer Netflix took home the Craftsman Trophy for “exceptional achievement in showmanship and dramatic impact for floats longer than 55 feet” with a two-part creation in the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 2, 2017, “Echoes of Success.”
Be sure to check out the gallery below for detailed descriptions of flowering and riders.
“Soar Beyond Imagination,” designed by John Ramirez and built by AES, was essentially a promotion for The Little Prince, a family-friendly feature produced for Netflix. The float reflected the charm of the book on which the film was based and the whimsy of the film. The front float
“Spirit of Hawaii” by Dole Packaged Foods won the Sweepstakes Trophy, the sixth for Dole. The volcano shot real 20-foot flames and emitted smoke, and steam, and look closely for the fire Pele holds in her hands.
presented the Little Prince on his personal planet with his beautiful red rose. The second float is straight from the movie, with the aviator from the book now an aged man, living with his memories. The theme was chosen “because success and imagination are inextricably linked,” Netflix says, “And, of course, you can’t ignore that a main character in The Little Prince is The Rose!”
“Spirit of Hawaii,” like previous Dole Packaged Foods floats, honors the places where Dole products are grown. Many of the materials used in the decoration came from Hawaii, including the fresh leis and head leis for the dancers, drummers, and riders. Designed by Stanley Meyer and built by Fiesta Parade floats, the float celebrated the history and legend of Hawaii with a 10-foot copy of the statue of King Kamehameha, bedecked with fresh leis, and the fire goddess and creator Pele holding flames in her hands. A 28-foot-tall working volcano and several waterfalls, including a 10-foot-wide cascade, created excitement. Unfortunately, the waterworks were not running as it went by camera corner. For more about Dole, including interviews, read “Dole Packaged Foods give employees a taste of Hawaii.”
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Nestled in clouds of 8,000 iris, 3,000 carnations, and 300 bunches of gypsophila were Asteroid B612 and other “planets” from The Little Prince, inhabited by The King and The Businessman. The Aviator’s plane, decorated in silverleaf, ground orange lentil and onion and cranberry seed, is flown by The Little Girl. The plane rocked back and forth and the propeller rotated.
Thousands of branches, leaves, and grasses were used on the rear float, along with 500 square feet of sod to create the rather ill-kempt yard of The Aviator on the Netflix float “Soar Beyond Imagination.” The weather vane on the roof spun.
The Aviator’s home is a combination of lettuce seed, crushed walnut shells, poppy seed and pepper, with accents of carnation petals, lunaria, cut statice and ground split pea.
Asteroid B612, the home of The Little Prince, was created with more than 10,000 pink, hot pink, lavender and white roses. The Prince and The Rose were overheight and dropped down into the planet to avoid overpasses and wires.
Mark Osborne, who directed the Netflix film, and his son Riley, who voiced The Little Prince, sit on a bench in front of a tree with a paper bark trunk and canopy of magnolia branches. The garden overflows with tulips, amaryllis, daffodils, hyacinth, daisies, and snapdragons. Snuggling with them is The Fox doll from the film.
The Aviator from the film The Little Prince waves from his perch. Behind him is the telescope he uses to stargaze, and to “Soar Beyond Imagination.” Greasy prints on his costume indicate he’s been working on his plane. The Aviator bears quite a resemblance to his voice actor, Jeff Bridges.
Sea turtles frolic in floral waters and colorful parrots perch overhead on “Spirit of Hawaii” by Dole Packaged Foods. Beneath a canopy of 10,000 purple dendrobium orchids and specialty carnations, a 10-foot-wide waterfall flowed. Gardens of 20,000 hot pink Topaz roses and thousands of anthuriums, cypripedium, and vanda orchids created a lush paradise, along with Kimi, Curcuma and Torch ginger, King and Pink Mink protea, Angusta, Bihia, Lobster Claw, Sexy Pink, Pagoda and fuzzy King Kong hanging heliconia.
Pele, the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes and creator of the Hawaiian Islands. rose to a height of 16 feet from the mist of the tropical gardens. The cups in her hands filled with fire. Lava was created with 8,000 vivid florescent orange roses.
Three Pahu drummers kept the beat for the six dancers on the float and another 10 on the street, performing a fusion of traditional and modern Pacific dances.
Sitting in the center is Bonnie Atmore, President & CEO, FOOD Share, part of Feeding America. FOOD Share is Dole Packaged Foods’ non-profit partner for the 2017 Rose Parade. Dole collected non-perishable items at its headquarters and the float barn during the Rose Parade season. Food on the float included bananas, pineapples and mangoes grown and provided by Dole Packaged Foods.
Sculptured Cattleya and Phalaenopsis orchids, hanging heliconia, colorful yellow hibiscus (the state flower of Hawaii), and a lei of dainty sculptured plumeria frame graced the Dole float. Ten dancers performed a fusion of traditional and modern Pacific dances.
Every year, Dole Packaged Foods gathers its employees in the Fiesta Parade Floats barn right next to their float, and gives them a party that spans the holiday season. The event was held on Dec. 11, and was attended by both Santa Claus and the Tournament of Roses Royal Court. We dropped in for some photos, conversation, and a delicious luau, including haupia, a Hawaiian dessert. Check out the photo gallery below for snapshots of the fun.
The 2017 Dole float, “Spirit of Hawaii,” features three important and very different figures: King Kamehameha I, founder of the Kingdom of Hawaii; Pele, goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes; and Sebastian, the parrot who rode with the late Raul Rodriguez on floats he designed. In the six years Dole Packaged Foods has entered the Rose Parade, the floats have won five Sweepstakes and one Director’s Trophy. The 2017 entry is designed by Stanley Meyer. It has a working volcano and four real waterfalls flowing down the side of the mountain and cascading from a floral bridge. Dancers, including a fire dancer, and drummers will accompany the float as outwalkers and on the bridge.
We spoke about the float with Monica Spiro, Associate Manager of Events for Dole, and Dave Spare, Vice President, Marketing, about the community involvement of the company. It’s a tradition for some of the riders to be the children of Dole associates, and this year, Spiro’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna will be aboard. Spiro said the company tries to match the parade theme in the float design. The 128th Rose Parade theme is “Echoes of Success.”
“‘Spirit of Hawaii’ makes sense, since the company started in Hawaii,” she said. She brings the float theme into the party with elements that will be fun for the families, which can be seen in the photo gallery. It’s a way of sharing the Dole vision and heritage with the associates and their families. All associates are invited, and about 250 came to the luau.
“It’s really nice, because it’s a way for associates who can’t go to the parade to experience the float,” Spiro said. Another way is for associates to participate in decorating the float. Fiesta Parade Floats brings the giant plumeria, that will encircle the float like a lei, to the company headquarters in Westlake Village for associates to decorate with rice, and about 15-20 people will come to the Irwindale barn to decorate. Part of the entryway is dedicated to the float, with animal sculptures from previous floats and photos of the floats.
“It’s a way to touch, see, and feel the float,” she said. “We try to look at all the different ways people can experience this.”
Dole is also part of Live on Green, a pre-parade event with activities, displays, food, and entertainment. The company sponsors a food booth where Dole Whips can be purchased, the special treat usually available only at Disneyland. Dole has sponsored the Tiki Room for 40 years, and even reserved the room for a national meeting, where dessert was served.
“We want everyone to have a good time and have fun,” Spiro said. “There’s something for everyone.” And, she added, “Sebastian is still in front” on the float.
Dave Spare shared Dole Packaged Foods’ commitment to aiding non-profits that help people in need. The president and CEO of one of those organizations will ride on the float on Jan. 2. Food Share, the largest food bank in Ventura County, receives millions of pounds of healthy food from Dole every year, Spare said. The food is still within its expiration date and includes frozen, canned, and prepared items and 99 percent of Dole products are non-GMO.
“We were way ahead of the GMO movement,” Spare said. “On the float, all the fruit is non-GMO. It’s more expensive, but [consumers] are getting purer fruit.”
In addition to products and cash, Dole employees volunteer thousands of hours each year to charity work, including Food Share, Spare said. He volunteers at Ventura County Rescue Mission. Employees can take time off work for volunteering, so they don’t have to use vacation days.
If the company works to create community spirit among its US employees, it helps to create a community overseas. Spare said the Dole Packaged Foods operation in the Philippines is the largest in the world, but there’s a lot of poverty in that country. Dole has built roads, schools and hospitals, and offers free medical care and free schooling. With an increase in hiring, there is a shortage of housing, so the company built 74 homes this year and plans to build 72 next year.
“The employees help to build them,” he said. “It’s like Habitat for Humanity.” Spare has worked for Dole Packaged Foods for 20 years, and he said the other vice presidents have worked 15 to 30 years. “It’s just a great company,” he said.
“The Spirit of Hawaii” from Dole Packaged Foods and Fiesta Parade Floats will glide down the Rose Parade route in Pasadena on Jan. 2, 2017. Rendering courtesy Pasadena Tournament of Roses.
Girls apply ground split peas to a leaf that will be on the Dole float.
Face painting was a popular activity at Dole Family Day
Many of the girls in the Tournament of Roses Royal Courts over years have said they were inspired to try out as little girls when they met the Queen and Princesses. The 2017 Royal Court carries on the tradition.
Riding a bumping, twirling, shifting surfboard is a very Hawaiian thing to do at Dole Family Day.
A grass skirt, lei, and hula hoops—what could more could a kid want at a luau?
Queen Victoria checks on the dance line as the Court and kids listen instructions on dancing the Hukilau.
Pulling in the nets, dancing the Hukilau at Dole Family Day.
Performing the haka, a Maori warrior dance.
Hawaiian dancers will walk alongside the Dole float “Spirit of Hawaii” in the 2017 Rose Parade.
Hawaiian dancers will walk alongside the Dole float “Spirit of Hawaii” in the 2017 Rose Parade.
The balloon maker was a very busy guy.
King Kamehameha I was a great leader of the Hawaiian people. His likeness is on the Dole Packaged Foods float.
Pele, the fire goddess and goddess of volcanoes, lightning, wind, and fire kneels in front of the volcano on the Dole float.
And there’s Sebastian in flowers, a replica of the beloved parrot of the late float designer Raul R. Rodriguez.
Two members of the Queen & Court Committee race Rose Princess Shannon Larsuel to the top of the rock wall at Dole Family Day.
Dancing with fire is pretty spectacular. Fire dancers are set to accompany the Dole float along the Rose Parade route. Photo courtesy of AP for Dole Packaged Foods.
