Rain Bird will participate in the 120th Tournament of Roses Parade with the unveiling of a color rendering of its 2009 Parade float entry, Entertaining Expedition, in a ceremony held at the Tournament House in Pasadena, Calif today. Prior to the unveiling, Tournament of Roses officials officially presented Rain Bird with the Tournament of Roses Sweepstakes Trophy, awarded to the float entry deemed the most beautiful, in recognition of the company's 2008 float, Preservation Celebration, that vividly captured the intimate relationship between water and life by celebrating India's rich heritage of weaving water into the fabric of its cultural celebrations.
The award is Rain Bird's seventh Sweepstakes Trophy and 11th overall Rose Parade® trophy (Judge’s Special Trophy in ’07; Grand Marshall's Trophy in '04; Sweepstakes Trophy in '98, '99, '01, '02, '03, ’05 and ‘08; President's Trophy in '00; and the Director's Trophy in '97) since 1997, the first year that the company participated in the New Year's Day tradition.
In accordance with the 2009 Rose Parade theme, Hats Off To Entertainment, Rain Bird's 2009 float entry, Entertaining Expedition, showcases an African safari as Earth’s purest form of entertainment while bolstering its commitment to water conservation and the preservation of endangered species and the habitats in which they live throughout the world.
Water, a signature element of all of Rain Bird’s floats, will be prominently featured on Entertaining Expedition as 1,500 gallons of flowing recycled water will cascade over numerous waterfalls as elephants, lions, zebras and giraffes frolic in a brilliant display.
“The Tournament of Roses Parade is a perfect fit for Rain Bird’s steadfast commitment to environmental preservation and The Intelligent Use of Water™, as there is no better stage to bring worldwide focus to the importance of adapting behaviors in order to conserve Earth’s most precious natural resource,” said Rain Bird’s director of corporate marketing, Dave Johnson. “Our 2009 Rose Parade float entry, Entertaining Expedition is a celebration of our planet, and by showcasing this safari scene we aim to call attention to the greatest show on earth, while bringing awareness to the central role that water plays in sustaining all of the Earth’s inhabitants.”