Rose Parade Float Archive: 1999

Rain Bird’s 1999 Tournament of Roses® Parade Float
"Friends of the Rain Forest," Wins Prestigious Sweepstakes
Trophy for the Most Beautiful Float Entry
for an Unprecedented Second Year in a Row

Pasadena, Calif. (Jan. 1, 1999) — Rain Bird Corporation, the world’s largest manufacturer of irrigation equipment, announced today that its 1999 Tournament of Roses Parade float, titled "Friends of the Rain Forest," was awarded the Sweepstakes Trophy by the Tournament of Roses Judging Committee for an unprecedented second year in a row. The Sweepstakes Trophy is awarded to the most beautiful float entry. The overall theme of the 1999 Rose Parade is "Echoes of the Century."

This is the third year in a row Rain Bird has won an award. In 1998, Rain Bird’s float won its first Sweepstakes Award, and in 1997 the company took home the Director’s Trophy.

Float pays tribute to the earth’s precious rain forests

Hundreds of Rain Bird employee volunteers and their families spent 10,000 cumulative hours applying hundreds of thousands of fresh flowers to the three-story, 55-foot-long "Friends of the Rain Forest" float. The float features brilliantly-colored rain forest creatures, including Great Hornbills, hummingbirds and frogs. In addition, the float’s chassis was specially designed and engineered to support the 13,000+ pounds of water (1,585 gallons) displayed on the float in the form of six cascading waterfalls.

"Rain Bird is very honored to receive the Sweepstakes Trophy for the second consecutive year," said Art Ludwick, senior vice president, Rain Bird. "We’re also pleased to have the opportunity to share the message about the importance of the world’s rain forests in such a unique and beautiful way."

Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus of Columbus Zoological Gardens and host, "Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures," rode on "Friends of the Rain Forest" with Raul Rodriguez, the acclaimed float designer who designed the float, and 1998 Rose Queen Purdy Tran. Louie, a three-year-old orangutan, accompanied the group on the float’s ride down Colorado Boulevard.

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