Hermosa Beach Kiwanian Pat Love joined the thousands of Kiwanians who helped build and decorate the Kiwanis International float for the Pasadena Rose Parade on New Year's Day.
In particular, Love, a past president of the HB club, brings more than 200 students from the South Bay area each year to participate in the decorating.
"I have been doing this every year for ten years," she said. "It is extraordinary to see all of the Kiwanians as well as their sponsored youth clubs working together.
"The energy, happiness, pride and fulfillment that you are doing something that the whole world will witness is so exciting, you can't help but feel that connection with everyone who is working alongside you," said Love.
The Kiwanian effort included sponsored Kiwanis youth volunteers from all over the world, who arrived at the Rosemont Pavilion in Pasadena to help build and decorate this year’s float, “A Child’s Magic Carpet Ride!”
The float was designed to reflect the Kiwanis International mission to enhance children’s lives by “making their lives better each day, one community at a time, one child at a time."
The Kiwanis float is paid for through the year-round fundraising efforts of this Pasadena Rose Float Club. The club works closely with the Phoenix Decorating Company to coordinate the nearly 7,000 Kiwanis volunteers who decorate 11 rose parade floats at Phoenix’s Rosemont Pavilion in Pasadena.
Volunteers begin as early as the first weekend in December and continue until 6 a.m on Jan. 1. Decorating involves placing flowers, seeds, fruits, vegetables and leaves.
In addition, Kiwanis volunteers help feed all of the other volunteers working on the 11 floats housed within the Pavilion, said spokeswoman Jane Walker.
Kiwanis Club sponsored charities include: PS I Love You, Sunshine Kids, Children's Miracle Network, Project Touch, Beach Cities Toy Drive, pediatric trauma, numerous school projects and scholarships for kids.
