Reflections from the Heart of a Rose Parade Float Rider

Cerritos - Artesia Patch | MarieSam Sanchez

My anticipation and excitement of riding on the donate Life 2012 float began in August, 2011 when I was notified that I would represent One Legacy Ambassadors. (One Legacy is the organ procurement organization for 7 counties in the greater Los Angeles area and has trained ambassadors who represent it in health fairs, the DMV, hospitals, and various events) What an honor and also, a responsibility! I pledged to myself that I would represent all of them with respect and dignity.

Thus began a whirlwind of paperwork, forms and submission of pictures for the commemorative yearbook. My good friend, Dick Schmidt, took this head shot at the Tim Baptista Crab Cioppino dinner celebration and I thought it was kind of appropriate to use it.

The theme of the 123rd Rose Parade was “Just Imagine…” That was pretty wide open and so our float committee chose “…One More Day” for its title. It was very fitting as the families of organ and tissue donors, living donors and transplant recipients know about the preciousness of time. Donate Life invited everyone to imagine “…One More Day” to remember a loved one, celebrate life, keep hope alive and make a difference to others. Clocks adorned the float with 72 memorial floragraph portraits of deceased donors, whose gifts of organ and tissues added years and quality of life to those in need of transplants. These thoughts were particularly meaningful to me since Bob was very close to death’s door when he received Tim Baptista’s heart. 
Read more: http://cerritos.patch.com/articles/reflections-from-the-heart-of-a-new-year-s-day-float-rider#photo-9116251