"We thank the individuals and organizations whose tributes to deceased donors, living donors, transplant recipients and those awaiting transplant contribute to the life-saving and healing mission of Donate Life’s annual Rose Parade campaign," stated Bryan Stewart, chairman of the Donate Life float committee and vice president of communications at OneLegacy, the nonprofit organ and tissue recovery organization serving the greater Los Angeles area. "We are also thankful to Josiah's House for supporting the Donate Life Dedication Garden's deeply meaningful purpose as a vessel for expressions of love, hope, support and remembrance." Josiah's House, a Tennessee-based nonprofit ministering to boys living in destitute circumstances in the Dominican Republic, is named after Josiah Berger, who is honored with a memorial floragraph portrait on this year's Donate Life Rose Parade float.

"Josiah's House is deeply honored to support such a meaningful component of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float," said Steve Berger, who together with his wife Sarah founded Josiah's House. "We formed Josiah's House to give hope to homeless and abandoned children. When we learned how we could help the Dedication Garden bring hope to so many people in need of transplants and honor those who, like our son, saved and healed lives through organ, eye and tissue donation, we embraced the opportunity."

The Donate Life Dedication Garden presented by Josiah's House will be escorted by 30 float riders – all grateful organ and tissue transplant recipients – and 12 living donors walking alongside five beautiful lanterns adorned with 81 memorial floragraph portraits of deceased donors. The 7,740 dedicated roses will be sustained by tagged vials with handwritten and printed dedications from individuals, families and organizations touched by organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation, including:

• 1,481 dedications from individuals and families from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, all of which are posted to the float website;
• 1,482 roses sponsored by 48 hospitals, transplant centers and organizations, 40 which host rose ceremonies allowing donor families, transplant recipients and living donors to handwrite dedications.
• Over 1,200 dedications from CEOs of medical/surgical and children's hospitals nationwide, who were offered the opportunity to handwrite messages on behalf of their institutions by members of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations and Eye Bank Association of America with support from the American Hospital Association.
• 163 "Roses for Registries" dedicated by state donor registries to the motor vehicle and government agency partners which have enrolled over 98 percent of the nation's 113 million designated donors. This program component is supported by a generous contribution from The Order of St. Lazarus.
• 39 "Roses of Hope" presented in person by six float riders – all transplant recipients – to transplant candidates through a grant In Memory of Michael E. Creighton.

• 1,095 roses "In Memory of All Who Passed While Waiting" for a transplant each day for the last three years, with each rose individually dated between Jan. 1, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2013; and
• 1,482 roses dedicated to each pediatric candidate on the UNOS Organ Transplant Waiting List as of Dec. 23, 2013. Each message is personalized with the child's initials and state of residence and is offered "with the hope that the gift of life light up your world in 2014."

The Donate Life float campaign is supported by more than 140 official sponsors nationwide, 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 American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB); Dignity Memorial^® network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers; Donate Life America; Donate Life Run/Walk Benefiting OneLegacy Foundation; Josiah's House; The Order of St. Lazarus; Ryan R. Viator's Legacy; SightLife; and TBI/Tissue Banks International.

The Donate Life Rose Parade Float's family of sponsors urges viewers to help make dreams come true for more than one million people in need of life-saving and healing organ, tissue and cornea transplants. Join America's 113 million registered donors so that everyone whose life and livelihood depends on a transplant can have one. Sign up when renewing your driver's license or by visiting www.DonateLifeAmerica.org.

About the Pasadena Tournament of Roses^®
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that annually hosts the Rose Parade^® presented by Honda, the Rose Bowl Game^® presented by VIZIO and a variety of associated events. The Tournament's 935 volunteer members act as ambassadors of the organization within the community and serve on one of 31 committees that ensure the success of the parade and game. Collectively, they contribute upwards of 80,000 hours of manpower each year. The 125th Rose Parade presented by Honda, themed "Dreams Come True," will take place Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, followed by the 100th Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO. On Jan. 6, 2014, the Tournament also will host the 2014 VIZIO BCS National Championship at the Rose Bowl Stadium. 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.