A Long Time, Important Rose Parade Supporter Unveils 2026 Rose Parade Float Theme

OneLegacy announced its 2026 Rose Parade float theme, “Treasure Every Moment Together,” featuring a lush tropical paradise that will carry dozens of organ donors, recipients and advocates down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day.

The nonprofit organization’s 23rd entry in the Rose Parade will join the 137th annual celebration on Jan. 1, 2026, in Pasadena. The parade’s theme, “The Magic in Teamwork,” celebrates collaboration and collective achievement.

Award-winning float designer Charles Meier created the vision for the 2026 float. His design features three great hornbill birds perched along the display, accompanied by monarch butterflies. The centerpiece showcases an open treasure chest overflowing with flowers, pearls and floral portraits of organ donors.

“Like donation and transplantation, great hornbills play a crucial role in sustaining the circle of life in their communities,” according to OneLegacy. The monarch butterflies represent transformation and rebirth, common symbols in organ donation.

Grateful organ recipients will ride in two traditional canoes positioned at the front of the float. The design highlights gratitude for shared moments and represents how registered donors offer “the greatest treasure: the gift of life.”

More than 1,500 volunteers will decorate the float using organic materials including seeds, grains, bark and flowers. Decorating shifts begin in October and continue through December. Artistic Entertainment Services will construct the float under direction of OneLegacy’s volunteer crew.

“Every year, millions of people are inspired by the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade float,” said Prasad Garimella, OneLegacy’s CEO. “In 2026, Treasure Every Moment Together reminds us that renewed life is the invaluable gift that organ, eye, and tissue donors leave behind.”

OneLegacy serves as the organ procurement organization for Southern California, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Kern counties. The organization works with hospitals and transplant centers to recover vital organs and tissues.

The float represents what organizers call the world’s most visible campaign for organ donation. Major organizations across the country support the annual project through sponsorships.

California residents can register as organ donors at OneLegacy.org, while those in other states can visit the National Donate Life Registry.