The 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade is set to take place on Monday, Central Coast Community Ecstatic to be Featured in 2023 Rose Parade Jan. 2, and the Cal Poly Rose Float team will be leading the way on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. This year's float is titled "Road to Reclamation" and it interprets the parade's theme of "Turning a Corner" through the use of a nurse log, which represents a fallen tree branch that gets a second chance at life. The float will feature snails and mushrooms helping to recycle nutrients from the branch into things that other plants can use. It is expected that around 60,000 flowers will be used on the float, as well as produce such as purple lettuce.

Central Coast Community Ecstatic to be Featured in 2023 Rose Parade

Annie Doody, the Rose Float President at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has been involved with the float team since she was a young Girl Scout. She has worked her way up through the ranks and this year, she will be overseeing a team of 40 crew members and hundreds of volunteers. Doody stated, "If I told my eight-year-old self, like, hey, you're going to be in charge of all this one day, I don't know if she'd believe me, but she'd probably think it was pretty cool."

After the parade, the Cal Poly Rose Float team plans to compost the flowers and recycle as much as possible from the float's structure. They are determined to make the event as environmentally friendly as possible. In addition to the Cal Poly float, another Central Coast native will also be participating in the parade. Matthew Shuck is a member of the Aktion Club, which is made up of disabled adults who organize community service events. He will be representing the Kiwanis Club on their float, titled "Catching the Wave of Service." The float features a bear holding the Kiwanis flag while riding a wave, and Shuck will be wearing a Hawaiian shirt as he takes part in the festivities.

The Tournament of Roses Parade is a long-standing tradition that typically takes place on New Year's Day. However, due to the never-on-Sunday policy, the parade will be held on Monday this year to avoid conflicting with church services. Those interested in watching the parade can do so on KSBY starting at 8 a.m. The Cal Poly Rose Float team and Matthew Shuck are sure to be highlights of the event, and it is certain to be a memorable and enjoyable experience for all involved.