Each year, Donate Life enters yet another awe inspiring float into the annual Rose Parade out in Pasadena, CA. The Float helps put our issue front and center for millions of viewers and brings together donor family members and recipients from across the nation to pay special tribute to organ and tissue donation.

At last week’s Donate Life America conference, the fine folks from One Legacy and Donate Life California (who do a miraculous job of heading up the effort) unveiled the new design for the 2010 Float. Below is a sketch of the Float along with some background behind its meaning.

We’ll be sure to keep you posted as the Float comes together. You can also keep tabs on the Float’s progression through the team’s dedicated Twitter account and Facebook page.

-Scott

When people say “Yes” to organ, eye and tissue donation, New Life Rises, giving hope and healing to those in need of life-saving transplants. In Donate Life’s seventh Rose Parade float entry, a phoenix, the mythical symbol of life coming out of death, rises into the sky, representing those who give life in their passing and the people whose lives are renewed by their gifts.

From a bed of nurturing flames, the majestic phoenix rises anew, its tail feathers adorned with 40 floragraphs – portraits created with floral materials – depicting loved ones who gave life to those in need. The bird soars high above 24 float riders – all transplant recipients, living donors, and family members of deceased donors – seated along a monument inspired by the National Donor Memorial’s Wall of Names. A garden inspired by the memorial’s Wall of Tears leads the float with 2,000 dedicated roses, each carrying a personal message of love, gratitude and hope to a donor, recipient or candidate for transplant.