Sauk Valley residents take part in Rose Bowl Parade prep

Dixon residents Joy Holden and Chèrie Van Woz Arch, Oregon resident Lorretta Sigler, and Franklin Grove resident Samantha Dopke took part in float decorating for the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 2 in Pasadena, California.

The volunteers are members of Petal Pushers, a group that gathers each year in Pasadena.

The group spends the week between Christmas and New Year’s attaching thousands of flowers, seeds, coffee beans, and leaves to help create the floral floats used during the Rose Parade.

About 4,000 Petal Pusher volunteers assisted in decorating around seven of the Rose Parade floats. Many of the Petal Pusher volunteers helped decorate the Lutheran Hour Ministries float, a feature of the Tournament of Roses for more than 70 years.

This year’s float — “A New Day with Jesus” — featured the sun rising behind a church as Jesus stood at the open doors.

For more information, visit petalpushers.org.