The 32 riders cover a broad spectrum of backgrounds, including major league sports, musicians, parents of donors, and adults transplanted as very young children. Among this year's riders are 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein, whose advocacy for donation is inspired by kidney disease and multiple transplants within his immediate family; his brother Rick Eckstein, hitting coach for the Washington Nationals who donated a kidney to his brother Ken; Carolyn Henry Glaspy, who made the decision to donate the organs of her son Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals; Vicky Nguyen, who has lived 26 of her 28 years with a liver transplant; heart recipient Larry Johnson, a Grammy-award-winning bassist; and Leilah Dowsari, who in 1986 was the first female newborn to receive a heart transplant.

Inspired by the 2013 Rose Parade® theme "Oh, the Places You'll Go!^™," Donate Life's looping, heart-laden float design evokes the emotional journeys undertaken by all people affected by donation and transplantation. "Our float participants have experienced the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and all points between on their roads from heartbreak to hope," said Bryan Stewart, chairman of the Donate Life float committee and vice president of communications at OneLegacy, the nonprofit organ and tissue organization serving the greater Los Angeles area. "We honor equally people who have saved lives as donors and those who have received organ and tissue transplants that allowed them to carry on full lives, for the benefit of their families and the communities in which they live. Throughout the upcoming holiday season, their stories will inspire millions to make registering as a donor part of their own life journey."

The float's collection of joyful hearts representing the new life made possible by transplantation is grounded by a reverent dedication garden filled with roses bearing personal messages honoring those who make the gift of life possible. The journey peaks with overlapping red and purple hearts representing the love and courage that define humanity at its best. The float's 200-foot-long, heart-shaped pathway is lined with 72 memorial "floragraph" portraits of deceased donors that will be visible along the five-mile parade route.

The youngest of this year's riders are two 12-year-old boys: Chase Caspersen of Boelus, Neb. and Ernesto Chavez of Palm Springs, Calif. Chase, who was diagnosed with bone cancer a day after his ninth birthday, was able to keep his arm thanks to a bone transplant from a 56-year-old woman. With his second chance, he was inspired to create toys for service dogs that help many hospital-bound children. Today, those toys are produced and sold nationwide to support pediatric cancer research. As a five-year-old in 2005, Ernesto received a kidney from a veteran who saw tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. "My donor, Gabriel Barajas, is a hero to me," said Ernesto. "Besides being a soldier, he gave me a second chance to live."

Donors and their families, like those who made such a difference in the boys' lives, are represented by ten float riders, some of whom faced the heartbreak that comes with donating the organs and tissues of their children. It was only two years ago that attorney Troy DeJoode of Ankeny, Iowa, and his wife Heather lost five-year-old Carson and five-month-old Claire when a truck broadsided Heather's car. Their organs saved many, including young Landen Bowers, nicknamed "Lion," who carries Claire's stuffed lamb with him. Denien Vittorio Wilde of Bryan, Ohio and her husband Patrick lost their nine-week-old son Quinn to a sudden seizure disorder. Their donation of Quinn's heart valves saved the lives of two infant girls. Michele Shanahan DeMoss of Independence, Mo. rides in memory of her 11-year-old daughter Blair, who dreamed of providing socks to foster and homeless children. After Blair was senselessly shot by a Fourth of July reveler, she gave life to six people aged six to 60, and Blair's compassionate heart inspired a foundation to see her vision through.

While many of Donate Life's float riders have a heart for others, six of them have hearts donated by others. Composer Kevin Reipl of Winnetka, Calif. and his wife had recently welcomed twins when he suddenly suffered end-stage heart failure caused by a rare genetic tumor above his adrenal gland. After nine months on a portable heart pump, his life was saved by a deceased donor. Charles Okeke of Phoenix, Ariz. also benefited from an artificial heart prior to his transplant, but his journey lasted three years, including two in the hospital and one as the first U.S. patient to have a 13-pound portable device, allowing him to go home and resume life with his family.

Two other float riders received hearts at opposite points in their lives. Grammy-award-winning bassist Larry Johnson of Baytown, Tex. lived with heart disease for 50 of his 60 years before a transplant became essential. Nearly a quarter-century before, Leilah Dowsari of Loma Linda, Calif., then known only as "Baby Eve," made international headlines in January 1986 when she became the first female newborn to receive a heart transplant. The first newborn ever listed on the national waiting list, Leilah, now 26, received a heart from 10-day-old "Baby Eric" of Atlanta, Ga. on her 17th day of life. After two more heart transplants in her teens, Leilah has a one-year-old baby of her own.

Today, more than 115,000 candidates are on the national organ transplant waiting list. Largely due to the rarity of donation opportunities, only about 28,000 organs are transplanted each year. As a result, 18 candidates die each day for lack of a donor. A single organ donor can save the lives of eight people through organ donation, while a single tissue donor can save and heal 50 others through needed heart valves, corneas, skin, bone, and tendons that mend hearts, prevent or cure blindness, heal burns and save limbs.

The 2013 Donate Life float is built by Phoenix Decorating Co. from a design by Dave Pittman and is coordinated by Donate Life America member OneLegacy. The Donate Life float campaign is supported by more than 120 official sponsors from coast to coast, including organ and tissue recovery organizations, tissue banks, state donor registries, transplant centers, hospitals, funeral homes and affiliated organizations. Joining OneLegacy as top-level benefactors are the Dignity Memorial® network, North America's largest network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers; the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB); the Donate Life America; the Order of St. Lazarus, an international order originally founded in the 11th century; TBI/Tissue Banks International; and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and the National Donor Memorial.

All Donate Life float sponsors encourage parade viewers to join the nation's 106 million registered donors so that everyone whose life depends on a transplant may receive one. Registrations can be made through state registries, links to which can be found at www.DonateLifeAmerica.org. Further information about the Donate Life float, decorating, and dedication garden can be found at www.DonateLifeAmerica.org.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that annually hosts the Rose Parade® presented by Honda, Rose Bowl Game^® presented by VIZIO^® and various associated events. The 124th Rose Parade presented by Honda, themed "Oh, the Places You'll Go!^™," will take place Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, at 8 a.m. (PST) featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands. Following the parade, the 99th Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO will kick off at 2:10 p.m. and feature an exciting match-up between two of the top collegiate football teams in the nation. For additional information on the Tournament of Roses please visit the official website at www.tournamentofroses.com.

For information call Rivian Bell, JDI Communications, (213) 612-4927 or Bryan Stewart, (213) 229-5650.