Fundraising for Glendale’s 100th Rose Parade float off to slow start

Just $10,000 has been generated for Glendale’s 100th float in the Tournament of Roses Parade — and all of it from just one donor.

The amount of money raised is a far cry from the $150,000 the city would like to cover with donations from corporations and community members.

For the past few years, Glendale has been struggling to fund its floats for the New Year’s Day parade, increasing its reliance on donations.

The City Council has already earmarked the $150,000 for the project — which is being envisioned as a grand entry to commemorate the city’s centennial anniversary of participating in the parade — but that was with the understanding that the money would be backfilled by donations.

But so far, only one corporation has pledged funds and no one has purchased $25 raffle tickets for a chance to ride on the float.

Community Services & Parks Director Jess Duran said community members and corporations may feel less of an urgency to give money because the money has been appropriated. In the past, that wasn’t the case.

“The funds that are donated will just offset the budget we already have,” Duran said,

Many may not be thinking about the float during the summer, but city officials have been working on plans for months, Duran said.

One perk of being a corporate sponsor is the ability to weigh in on design decisions.

The 2012 float featured the two corporate sponsors — the Americana at Brand and Glendale Adventist Medical Center — with the likeness of the mall’s red trolley and images of medical staff.

The only corporate sponsor so far is Holland Partners — the developer of Brand/Wilson, Orange/Wilson and Central/ Wilson — three large apartment buildings on tap for downtown.

If corporate sponsors don’t come forward within the next three weeks, they may not be involved in design discussions, which are fast-approaching, Duran said.

The float design is set to be presented to the council in coming months, he added.

For more information about donations, call (818) 548-2752 or email pbetancourt@ci.glendale.ca.us.

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