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Rose Parade 2015: Thousands brave cold; float winners announced
The Tournament Volunteers Trophy winner sponsored by Odd Fellows and Rebekahs is displayed on the parade route during 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
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The Kiehl's float is displayed on the parade route during the 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
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The AIDS Healthcare Foundation float is displayed on the parade route during the 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
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The Zappos.com float is displayed on the parade route during the 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
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The Mexico Marching Band marches on the parade route during the 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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Actor Jack Black rides on a float sponsored by Farmers Insurance on the parade route during the 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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The cast of the television show " The Love Boat" waves to the crowd on a float sponsored by Princess Cruises on the parade route during the 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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The Florida State University Marching Chiefs march on the parade route during the 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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The La Canada Tournament of Roses Association float is displayed on the parade route during the 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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The Burbank Tournament of Roses Association float is displayed on the parade route during the 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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A band from Los Angeles Unified School District marches in the 2015 Rose Parade on January 1, 2015, in Pasadena.
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Andrea Gardner/KPCC
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The Inspiring Stories float sponsored by Honda is displayed on the parade route during 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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The Grand Marshall Trophy winner by Singpoli is displayed on the parade route during 126th Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
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Karli Morgan (L) of Northridge attends the 2015 Rose Parade with her boyfriend (R) on January 1, 2015, in Pasadena, Calif.
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Quincy Gunther of Eugene, Ore., left, Adam Castro of San Jose and Whitney and Ben Wood of La Crescenta play cards while camping out on Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 31, 2014 before the 2015 Rose Parade. The group of Oregon fans have been camping since 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
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Colin O'Keefe said he brought a $30 Target fire pit and some hardwood, which made him popular among other attendees at the 2015 Rose Parade on January 1 in Pasadena.
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Andrea Gardner/KPCC
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Kiley Roach of Newport Beach knits while camping out on Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 31, 2014 before the 2015 Rose Parade. The group has been camping out since noon on Wednesday.
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Maya Sugarman/KPCC
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Victoria Garcia of San Bernardino, left, Bobbi Taylor of Hemet and Dustin Ingle of San Jacinto camp out on Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 31, 2014 before the 2015 Rose Parade.
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Sisters Ana and Dylan Kirk eat cookies with their grandmother, Diane Kirk, while camping out on Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 31, 2014 before the 2015 Rose Parade.
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The Rose Parade Court interacts with the DOLE Squish'ems mascot in front of the DOLE 2015 Rose Parade float "Rhythm of Hawaii" during the Dole Family Day at Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014. Dole Package Foods won the Sweepstakes Award for most beautiful float.
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Eric Reed/AP Images for Dole Packaged Foods
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Attendees watch the 2015 Rose Parade from the roadside on January 1 in Pasadena.
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Princess Cruises first ever Rose Parade float launches its 50th anniversary celebrations, Tuesday, December 30, 2014, in Pasadena, CA. The float, which depicts its newest ship Regal Princess cruising through an array of iconic landmarks from around the World, won the Craftsman Award for exceptional achievement in showmanship and dramatic impact for floats over 55 feet.
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Bret Hartman/AP Images for Princess Cruises
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Vicki Langberg places roses on the Trader Joe's parade float in preparation for the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. Trader Joe's won the Crown City Innovation Award for best use of imagination and innovation to advance the art of float design.
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Nick Ut/AP
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The Kiehl's SINCE 1851 float on Judging Day at Fiesta Parade Floats on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014, in Irwindale, Calif. Kiehl's won the Extraordinaire Award for most spectacular float.
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Todd Williamson
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A Rose Parade spectator takes pictures while waiting the start of the 126th Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015.
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AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu
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Rose Parade 2015: Thousands brave cold; float winners announced
Thousands of people braved an unusually cold morning Thursday to watch the 2015 Rose Parade in Pasadena.
Though the temperature in Pasadena did not break the 1952 record of 32 degrees, a winter storm that has blanketed the western United States still made it a cold one. The National Weather Service said it was 36 degrees.
"I'm with my boyfriend and his family, so they've been doing it for a couple of years. And, they're like, 'Oh, you should totally come out,' and I was like, 'Yeah, what a great idea!' And then I got here and I was like, 'What did I get myself into?' But, it was a lot of fun," said Karli Morgan of Northridge, who was attending for the first time.
The University of Southern California mascot, Tommy Trojan, wore a long coat over his Roman armor and gladiator sandals to keep warm, and Florida State University Seminoles dancers looked freezing in their tights and leotards, according to the Associated Press.
A group of attendees huddled together by a fire pit demonstrated how a sense of community could develop overnight. Colin O'Keefe said he spent the night alone but his $30 fire pit from Target and some wood to burn had attracted others. Donna Stamps, who joined him with her daughter, said someone brought donuts in exchange for letting them keep warm by the fire.
What's the allure of weathering the cold for a parade?
Sponsored message
"Fresh flowers, warm donuts, good friends," Stamps told KPCC.
The Tournament of Roses meanwhile released its list of awards for the best floats, with Dole winning for most beautiful and the City of Torrance winning for best embodiment of this year's theme.
The Torrance float won the Sweepstakes Award. The Dole float took home the Theme Award. Both were both built by Fiesta Parade Floats.
The parade's theme, "Inspiring Stories," was meant to highlight the life of Louis Zamperini, who was named Grand Marshall but passed away earlier this year.
Zamperini, who is the subject of the Angelina Jolie-helmed movie "Unbroken," was a USC and Olympic track star who survived 47 days at sea after his plane crashed in World War II and then endured two years as a prisoner of war.
"He really is the embodiment of inspiring stories, and there was no way we were going to change that," Richard Chinen, president of the 2015 Tournament of Roses, told AP.
Zamperini's son, daughter and other family members rode in a car in his place, according to AP.
Sponsored message
The floats this year included one from Princess Cruises that featured the cast members of "The Love Boat."
It was also the first time the Sikh community entered a float. The centerpiece of the design was a replica of the Sikh temple, or gurdwara, in Stockton, Calif. built in 1912.
The Aids Healthcare Foundation had a float honoring the health care workers who have been fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa — including those who have died in the process.
And, of course, there were plenty of floats with a more whimsical theme. As AP reports, crowds roared as a giant pink hippopotamus float twitched its ears and belched blue and white balloons from its mouth.
The La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, whose volunteers were forced to quit decorating for the night on Tuesday because of the weather but managed to complete the float the next morning, were also among the award winners. They won the Founders Award for the most beautiful float built and decorated by volunteers from a community.
You can see the full list of winners below.
Rose Parade winners
| Awards | Participant | Theme | Builder | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THEME: Excellence In Presenting Parade Theme | City of Torrance | Louis Zamperini - A Race Well Run | Fiesta Parade Floats | 15 |
| TOURNAMENT VOLUNTEERS': Best Floral Design of Parade Theme For Floats Under 35' | Odd Fellows and Rebekahs Rose Float | Always Remember | Phoenix Decorating | 18 |
| SWEEPSTAKES: Most Beautiful Entry in Parade With Outstanding Floral Presentation & Design | Dole Packaged Foods | Rhythm of Hawai'i | Fiesta Parade Floats | 24 |
| PRINCESSES': Most Beautiful Float 35' And Under | Lutheran Laymen's League | The Bible... God's Story | Phoenix Decorating | 25 |
| GRAND MARSHAL'S: Excellence In Creative Concept & Design | Singpoli | A Bright Future | Paradiso Parade Floats | 28 |
| INTERNATIONAL: Most Beautiful Entry - Outside of 50 United States & D.C. | China Airlines, Ltd. | Inspiring Grace of Cloud Gate | Artistic Entertainment Services | 31 |
| PRESIDENT'S: Most Effective Floral Use & Presentation | American Armenian Rose Float Association | Cradle of Civilization | Phoenix Decorating | 34 |
| CRAFTSMAN: Exceptional Achievement In Showmanship & Dramatic Impact For Floats > 55' Only | Princess Cruises | 50 Years of Inspiring Travel | Phoenix Decorating | 36 |
| NATIONAL: Best Depiction of Life In U.S.A. - Past, Present Or Future | Downey Rose Float Association | Home for the Holidays | Self Built | 40 |
| ISABELLA COLEMAN: Best Presentation of Color & Color Harmony Through Floral Use | Scotts Miracle-Gro | Life Starts Here | Fiesta Parade Floats | 41 |
| GOVERNOR'S: Best Depiction of Life In California | City of Los Angeles | What's Your L.A. Story? | Phoenix Decorating | 43 |
| QUEEN'S: Most Effective Use And Display of Roses In Concept, Design & Presentation | The Bachelor | Inspiring Love | Fiesta Parade Floats | 45 |
| EXTRAORDINAIRE: Most Spectacular Float (Including Floats That Do Not Retract To 55') | Kiehl's Since 1851 | Inspiring a Beautiful World | Fiesta Parade Floats | 50 |
| BOB HOPE HUMOR: Most Comical & Amusing Entry | Underground Service Alert of Southern California | Do It Right... Call 811 | Fiesta Parade Floats | 54 |
| JUDGES' SPECIAL: Most Spectacular In Showmanship & Dramatic Impact | Kaiser Permanente | Together We Thrive | Fiesta Parade Floats | 60 |
| DIRECTORS': Outstanding Artistic Merit In Design & Floral Presentation | Northwestern Mutual NCAA | Inspiring Potential | Fiesta Parade Floats | 73 |
| FANTASY: Most Outstanding Display of Fantasy & Imagination | Western Asset Management Company | The Power of Imagination | Phoenix Decorating | 77 |
| TOURNAMENT SPECIAL: Exceptional Merit In Multiple Classifications (Incl. Floats That Do Not Retract To 55') | Farmers Insurance | Dream Big: World of Possibility | Phoenix Decorating | 80 |
| MAYOR'S: Most Outstanding City Entry - National or International | Sierra Madre Rose Float Association | I Think I Can | Self Built | 81 |
| ANIMATION: Best Animation & Motion | Zappos.com | Serving with a Smile | Paradiso Parade Floats | 83 |
| CROWN CITY INNOVATION: Best Use of Imagination & Innovation To Advance The Art Of Float Design | Trader Joe's | Bedtime Stories | Phoenix Decorating | 85 |
| PAST PRESIDENTS': Most Creative Design & Use of Both Floral & Non-Floral Materials | Burbank Tournament of Roses Association | Jungle Rescue | Self Built | 88 |
| FOUNDERS': Most Beautiful Float Built & Decorated By Volunteers From A Community or Organization | La Cañada Tournament of Roses Association | To the Rescue | Self Built | 90 |
| LATHROP K. LEISHMAN: Most Beautiful Non-Commercial Float | Cal Poly Universities | Soaring Stories | Self Built | 92 |
This story has been updated.
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