03 January 2025
The UPS Store Floral Float Wins Judges Award in 136th Rose Parade®
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 1, 2025 – The UPS Store, Inc. was recognized today with the Judges Award for its float in the 136th Rose Parade® presented by Honda. Themed “Helping Dreams Take Flight,” the floral float depicted a stunning prehistoric scene aimed to inspire all to dream big while celebrating those who encourage others to take that big leap and soar.
The UPS Store float won the Judges Award for most outstanding float design and dramatic impact. This year’s Rose Parade theme of “Best Day Ever!” took almost a year to complete, starting with concepts from float designer Charles Meier and then executing that final design with buildout from Artistic Entertainment Services. Hundreds of volunteers helped decorate and put the finishing touches to the award-winning float, culminating in adding all the fresh florals leading up to parade day. This marks the sixth time The UPS Store float has received an award from the Tournament of Roses® organization.
"We are honored to receive the Judges Award as it symbolizes that starting and running a small business is no small feat," said Sarah Casalan, president of The UPS Store, Inc. "This award reflects the collective efforts of everyone involved and the hard work and passion of our network of 5,300 locally owned locations nationwide who put our customers first."
The 30-foot-tall float, among this year’s tallest of all float entries, featured a mother pterodactyl surrounded by a lush prehistoric landscape as she proudly watched her two young pterodactyl offspring take their first flight. The float spotlighted the national retailer’s Start Small, Grow Big program, benefitting the Junior Achievement USA® non-profit organization, which provides students nationwide with lessons in financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship. Since the program began in 2022, The UPS Store customers have donated more than $6 million to support Junior Achievement programming nationwide.
As the float glided down the parade route in Pasadena, the trio of pterodactyls flapped their enormous wings alongside steaming volcanoes and flowing waterfalls. The prehistoric paradise was brought to life by cutting-edge animation, special effects, and thousands of flowers and various fruits and vegetables, seeds, leaves and other plants. The pterodactyls were covered with a mix of kumquat and fresh cranberry halves, cranberry seeds, orange lentils, fine strawflower, maroon Chinese long beans and gold flaxseed. Nearly 25,000 red and orange roses covered the base, while golden yarrow, native to southern California, adorned the float in honor of the regional roots of The UPS Store.
About The UPS Store
With more than 5,300 locations across the U.S., The UPS Store network comprises the nation's largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, print, and business service centers. The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of The UPS Store, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of United Parcel Service, Inc., a Delaware corporation (although one or more may be company-owned). Services, prices, and hours of operation are subject to change and may vary by location. For additional information about The UPS Store, visit theupsstore.com. Follow The UPS Store on social media at @TheUPSStore, facebook.com/theupsstore, and instagram.com/theupsstore.
About the Pasadena Tournament of Roses® and Rose Parade® presented by Honda
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses® is a volunteer organization that hosts America’s New Year Celebration® with the Rose Parade® presented by Honda, the Rose Bowl Game® presented by Prudential, and a variety of accompanying events. The Association’s 935 Members supply more than 80,000 volunteer hours, which will drive the success of the 136th Rose Parade, themed “Best Day Ever!” on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, followed by the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 111th Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential. Visit www.tournamentofroses.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram and YouTube.
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