Our float had no gimmicks like swimming dogs or trapeze artists, but displayed in floral letters something more important and meaningful to all: HOPE. This idea was best exemplified by each of the patients who rode on the float because of the research and care we provide every day. They were our celebrities that day.
The Rose Parade theme, The Magic of Teamwork, is inherent in the way we have always worked together, each day, at every City of Hope location that proudly displays our name and logo across the region and the nation. What we do, and how we do it, is indeed magical.
As we made our way along the 5.5-mile route, we encountered many people who, when they saw the float coming, cheered for us, expressing visible gratitude for what we had done for them and their families and friends. The look on their faces said it all, as they understood the importance of our work in restoring lives and families and being together to begin the new year.
Even the perfect choice of music for our float, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, sung first by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and made even more famous by Diana Ross, captured the spirit of who we are. As we made our way down Colorado Boulevard, we could see the diversity of people, of all ages, teenagers and their grandparents, and from so many different cultures
—moving to the beat of the music, dancing in place, singing along and smiling at us as we rolled by.
And the high point of our journey along the parade route was seeing our own system chief medical officer, Dr. Vijay Trisal, dancing to the music along the puddled street and displaying some uninhibited, very cool rhythmic moves, to the delight of all.
Magical indeed.