RAIN
BIRD CORPORATION WINS THE TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE SWEEPSTAKES
TROPHY FOR
MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOAT IN THE 116TH TOURNAMENT OF ROSES® PARADE
The 2005 Sweepstakes Trophy
Win Marks Rain Bird’s 9th Consecutive Parade Award
and Their 6th Sweepstakes Trophy In 9 Years
GLENDORA, Calif. (JANUARY 1, 2005) - Rain Bird® Corporation,
the leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products
and services, was awarded the Tournament of Roses Sweepstakes
Trophy today in recognition of their 2005 Tournament of Roses
Parade entry, "Playful Pandamonium." The Sweepstakes
Trophy is awarded to the most beautiful float in the parade
as determined by a panel of judges. The win marks Rain Bird’s
ninth consecutive Tournament of Roses Parade award, and its
sixth Sweepstakes Trophy in nine years of participation in
the New Year’s Day tradition.
This year’s Sweepstakes Trophy winning float depicted
a magnificent family of giant panda bears crunching on fresh
bamboo culled from a mist-shrouded forest given life by an
adjacent stream. With eight cascading waterfalls and 24 high-pressure
misting nozzles, that used over 1,500 gallons of recycled
water, the 55-foot long, 30-foot high float continued Rain
Bird's Rose Parade tradition of saluting the earth's most
precious resource - water. Rain Bird has won an award each
of the nine years it has entered a float in the parade – Sweepstakes
Trophy in '98, '99, '01, '02, ’03 and 2005; President's
Trophy in '00, Director's Trophy in '97 and the Grand Marshal
Trophy in 2004.
Playful Pandamonium highlighted the company’s vision
for The Intelligent Use of Water™, a worldwide commitment
to furthering environmental preservation through water conservation,
and a focal point that has served as the key message for
each of Rain Bird's past award-winning float entries.
"This award is a testament to the dedication of our
employees and families, who worked so hard and devoted many
hours to making this dream a reality," said Rain Bird
Corporate Marketing Brand Manager Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd. "We
are proud of the important message of environmental conservation
that our float communicates."
Designed by the award-winning float designer Raul Rodriguez
and brought to life by Floral Director Jim Hynd, the unsurpassed
beauty and charismatic features of the giant pandas were
artistically fashioned with whole white carnations and glossy
black onion seed. Colorful birds and butterflies were decorated
in an array of textures and materials, including vanda orchids,
Chinese lanterns, pansies, pepperberry, bells of Ireland
and hydrangea petals.
The float also featured Jack Hanna (who has ridden on Rain
Bird's floats from 1999 through 2005), Director Emeritus
of the Columbus Zoo and host of "Jack Hanna's Animal
Adventures," and Walter C. Crawford, Jr. (who joined
Mr. Hanna on Rain Bird's floats beginning in 2001), Founder
and Executive Director of the World Bird Sanctuary.
