2018 Rose Parade Recap

Over the New Year’s holiday, LifeCenter Northwest accompanied Mill Creek donor mom, Vicki Moore, to the Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA to celebrate her son, Parker Lang, on the Donate Life Float. Parker became a donor at Providence Regional Medical Center in March 2016 and saved the lives of five individuals through the donation of kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs.

Organizations from across the nation sponsored donor families, living donors, and transplant recipients and the event brought together the Donate Life community for various activities coordinated by OneLegacy. This provided a unique opportunity for those touched by donation to meet and see firsthand the impact of donation, and the generosity of those who gave the gift of life.

Donor families were brought together for a breakfast where Vicki met the artists (and donor parents) who made Parker’s floragraph. We also had the opportunity to help put the finishing touches on the float decorations and place a rose in the dedication garden for Parker. So much hard work and love goes in to pulling the float together, it was amazing to see the finished product! After the float decorating we stayed to witness the judging of the float. The Donate Life Float took home the Theme Award for the most outstanding presentation of the Rose Parade theme Making a Difference.

We celebrated the New Year at the Donate Life gala, and on New Year’s morning shared the breathtaking moment of watching the Donate Life Float pass by in the parade. Seeing the beauty of the float and the adorning floragraphs was truly an impactful moment, and brought the power of organ, eye, and tissue donation to a worldwide audience!

The exciting trip ended at the Rose Bowl football game, a fun way to wrap up the influential weekend and kick off the New Year.

Thank you to One Legacy, for bringing the national donation/transplantation community together to promote organ, eye, and donation and the beauty of second chances! We’d also like to thank Dignity Memorial for partnering with us in honoring Parker. He is truly a hero, and his legacy forever lives on in those whose lives he saved.

We are so thankful to be part of such a great community and promote a gift that brings hope and healing. For more photos from the trip, please visit our Facebook page or Shutterfly account.