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“In towns and cities... there is no more important institution than the local paper.”
Warren Buffett
La Mirada Rotarians and club members throughout the nation will be watching with interest on New Years Day as the Rotary float in the Tournament of Roses Parade carries a message of “Working Together for Peace” to viewers around the world.
Rotarians’ actions have often changed people’s lives and given them hope where there appears to be none. In order to achieve important goals Rotarians have many times found it necessary to bring people of different backgrounds together to negotiate a safe environment for volunteers to work on projects such as polio eradication and clean water installations. This year’s parade entry will highlight Rotary’s efforts to create a more peaceful world.
Since Rotary returned to the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1980, the New Year’s Day pageant has become a highlight on the Rotary calendar. Seen in Pasadena by over 700,000 people, television coverage of the floral extravaganza reaches about 80 million more around the world, providing Rotary with a valuable opportunity to showcase its programs and activities.
“Be A Gift To The World” is Rotary International President Ravi Ravindran’s theme for the year. In keeping with that theme, the float is a gift to Rotary from the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee. Although the float is not a project of Rotary International, the success of the float is a tribute to the dedication of the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee, which consists of volunteer Rotarians from across North America.
The committee’s efforts, which are supported entirely by voluntary financial contributions from Rotary clubs across the United States and Canada, make 2016 the 37th consecutive entry in the Tournament of Roses Parade.
The Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee intends this year’s float to promote awareness of the many good works done by Rotary International and the 1.2 million Rotarians around the globe who dedicate their lives to making a positive difference in their communities and the lives of others.
The Rotary Club of La Mirada is part of a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects its members in more than 34,000 Rotary clubs around the world. Their work improves lives at both the local and international level, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. Rotary Club of La Mirada meets at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Elephant Bar Restaurant, 14303 E. Firestone Blvd. in La Mirada. Visitors are welcome to attend.