South Pasadena Rose Parade Float Builders Ask Public’s Help in Last-Minute Push to “Seas the Day”

South Pasadena’s Tournament of Roses Committee has raised only $4,481 toward its crucial $35,000 fundraising goal for their award-winning self-built float.

The committee is making a final push through its annual Crunch Time Party fundraiser on Dec. 29 to help bridge the significant funding gap for their entry, “Seas the Day.”

“The Crunch Time Party is an annual event every December 29th and with a fundraising goal of $35,000 that goes towards our overall budget for the float of $150,000, said Ed Donnelly, President of the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee.

The event, scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. at the War Memorial Building at 435 Fair Oaks Ave., means to raise about 25% of the float’s total $150,000 budget.

Auction items, with tickets at $75 each, include a Newport Harbor Christmas boat parade yacht cruise, LA Dodger tickets, Big Bear and Mexico getaways, and Magic Castle dinner experiences.

The float, featuring three friends on a makeshift raft with a turtle shell driver’s compartment, aligns with the parade theme “Best Day Ever!” and continues South Pasadena’s winning tradition.

Following their 2024 Founder Award and 2023 Bob Hope Humor Award victories, the nonprofit organization maintains its status as creator of the parade’s oldest self-built float.

“We have a special batch of mums grown for us in Japan that were bred to have blue petals. They’re flown in from across the globe,” Donnelly said.

“For volunteers to come in, they don’t need to have a special skill set per se,” Donnelly said. “They just need to come in and be willing to join in and work.”

Construction crews currently work Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday at the War Memorial Building, with operations expanding to 24-hour coverage before the parade.

“We think we really exemplified the carefree exuberance that kids have when they’re playing with their friends,” Donnelly said about the community’s approach to float building.

The float will undergo final judging on Dec. 30 at 7 a.m., following the installation of fresh flowers beginning Dec. 27.

An online auction is scheduled to begin Dec. 12. For more information about donations and ticket purchases, visit sptor.org.