Torrance : Float Decorating Begins

Decorating begins today on the city’s float for the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.

Georgean Griswold, president-elect of the Torrance Rose Float Assn., a volunteer group that coordinates and decorates the annual entry, said there has been an overflow of volunteers.

“We have too many,” Griswold said happily. “We had over 200 that wanted to decorate on the night of the 30th.” Two shifts a day, each with 130 volunteers, will work through Dec. 31.

Griswold said the overflow came about because of better outreach this year and the addition of volunteers from Marineland, co-sponsor of the float.

She said the shifts are limited to 130 because seating is limited on the buses that take the volunteers to Pasadena, where the floats are decorated.

This year’s float is called “California Ocean Antics” and features models of three children playing with dolphins and other sea life. A model of a girl will ride two Pacific bottlenose dolphin models.

Another child will have a sea turtle nipping at her feet. A third child will swim alongside another dolphin.

The 60-foot-long, 24-foot-high float will be the 36th unit in the parade and the 17th of 60 floats. Humorist Erma Bombeck is grand marshal of the parade, whose theme is “Laughter.”