The UPS Store, Inc. marked its third appearance at the Tournament of Roses® Rose Parade today, taking home the Sweepstakes Award for its float, “Books Keep Us On Our Toes,” designed to inspire children to experience life through the joy of reading.
The Sweepstakes Trophy is presented to floats for the most beautiful entry, encompassing overall float design, floral presentation and entertainment. This is the second year in a row that The UPS Store, Inc. won the parade’s prestigious top prize.
“The UPS Store, Inc. is once again honored to receive this year’s Sweepstakes Trophy for our majestic float,” said Tim Davis, president of The UPS Store, Inc. “We are incredibly grateful to the float builders, float decorating volunteers and The Tournament of Roses® volunteers and staff in helping us highlight the importance of childhood literacy in a colorful way and in a national spotlight.”
The UPS Store, Inc. sponsored Rose Parade float, titled “Stories Change Our World,” made its way down Pasadena’s iconic 5.5 mile stretch of Colorado Boulevard. Designed by Fiesta Parade Floats, the majestic float showcased tamarin monkeys, an endangered species, alongside toucans, salamanders, butterflies and parrots, to represent hope and strong community ties.
At 35 feet tall and 55 feet long, the float featured thousands of fresh flowers with animated animals and three sparkling waterfalls, all of which were synchronized and powered by a state-of-the-art hydraulic system. The float was meticulously adorned with diverse floral varieties, from vibrant blue statice blossoms to 25,000 dark pink Hot Lady roses.
The fanciful float served as inspiration for the winning young authors of “Tell Your Tale,” a short story contest. Their stories are included in a special anthology book, in which 10,000 print copies are being handed out at the Tournament of Roses Post Parade event through Jan. 2. The book is also available for download online. Additionally, a number of the books are being distributed in braille to the Los Angeles area to support literacy for children that are visually impaired.
