The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance kicked off the new year with a win at the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Their float, "It Began With a Roar," took home the Sweepstakes Award for the most beautiful entry in the parade's 135th edition. The float honored the zoo's 107 years of history and featured some of its most iconic wildlife, including Rex the lion, whose tale is the stuff of San Diego legend.
According to a press release from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the float showcased a diverse array of wildlife, all highlighting the zoo's conservation efforts. Chinook the polar bear made a splash at the front of the float, representing the species' struggles due to climate change. Thanks to the zoo's work, these polar bears might just have a fighting chance at survival. Meanwhile, Karens the orangutan, with a past surgery that saved her life, was present to symbolize new beginnings and the zoo’s protection efforts for endangered species.
We won it all! SDZWA is honored to announce that our float won the Sweepstakes Award at the 135th @RoseParade - the highest honor! pic.twitter.com/XkNjut7j5c
— San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (@sandiegozoo) January 1, 2024
"We are humbled and honored to receive the Sweepstakes Award, but more importantly, we are grateful the Rose Parade allows San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance an opportunity to share our conservation message with a global audience," said Paul A. Baribault, president and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, in the press release. The award marks the 100th anniversary of the Sweepstakes Award and highlights the hard work of the hundreds of alliance team members and volunteers who brought the float to life.
Artistic Entertainment Services joined forces with the Alliance to design and build the float decorated over two weeks of intense labor by their dedicated workforce. The float meticulously presented a living display of the zoo's wildlife conservation work. From koalas munching on eucalyptus leaves to the flamboyance of flamingos, each animal on the float was a reference to the San Diego Zoo's work to save wildlife. Omeo the koala was featured, a survivor whose mother died from cancer and whose life depended on the zoo's care. Similarly, thousands of Quino checkerspot butterflies, a local endangered species, have been reared and reintroduced by the zoo's experts, something the presence of the tiny creature sought to communicate.
The San Diego Zoo utility doesn’t shy away from pageantry. They've been a staple at the Rose Parade, with floats in 1996, 2022, and 2023, celebrating various milestones and conservation achievements. This year's award-winning float culminated with Rex the lion, representing the roaring start of the zoo's conservation journey over a century ago. Matt Akel, a zookeeper who took the ride on the float, embodies the zoo's commitment to wildlife. He's had the honor of caring for animals at the San Diego Zoo for 21 years, or as the zoo put it, from "every life-changing moment at the San Diego Zoo celebrates the symphony of nature—and it all began with a roar."
