Volunteers are needed to assist the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee in building and decorating the upcoming 2024 Rose Parade float.
“Boogie Fever” is the name of the city’s self-built entry in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1. All work on the float is performed by volunteers.
Construction and decoration crew members are being sought. The work site is a large tent adjacent to the War Memorial Building at 435 Fair Oaks Ave. Parking is available on Fair Oaks Avenue and in the building’s parking lot.
Decoration volunteers perform a variety of duties, depending on how close the date is to Jan. 1. At this time, volunteers are collecting dried statice blossoms that will be used on the float. They are also counting and preparing small “vials” that will eventually hold the stemmed flowers to be placed on the float. They may also cover steel structures with a screen-like material. As the Dec. 31 deadline approaches, volunteers will be working with fresh flowers. The intense “Deco Week” takes place Dec. 26-30.
Work sessions are currently scheduled on Saturdays and will extend to both Saturdays and Sundays starting Nov. 4. Sessions will be held daily during “Deco Week” in late December.
Sign up for shifts at sptor.org/volunteer and also review rules and guidelines. Experience is not required. Youths between the ages of 10-14 must be accompanied by an adult. Service credit is available.
Meanwhile, SPTOR construction chair Rob Benjamin said it is “ideal if volunteers have experience in welding, set building or construction” to work on the construction team. “However, we will take someone who is willing to learn. We can provide the training. Crews work mostly with steel and wood. Various metal and wood-working tools are used, including welders, saws, drills and grinders.”
The team is willing to train but wants a commitment from volunteers to work shifts. “The average volunteer works at least eight hours a week,” Benjamin said. Shifts are Tuesday through Thursday evenings starting at 6 p.m., and on Saturdays starting at 8 a.m.
To inquire about working with construction, email construction@sptor.org.
First published in the October 20 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
