Rain Bird’s Float Wins Tournament of Roses Trophy

Rain Bird, a manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services, was awarded the Tournament of Roses Sweepstakes Trophy in recognition of its 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade entry, Preservation Celebration. Awarded to the float entry deemed the most beautiful by a panel of expert judges, the 2008 Sweepstakes Trophy win marks the eleventh time in twelve years that Rain Bird has been awarded for its Rose Parade float entry, and the seventh time the company has won the parade’s top honor.

Building on a tradition of communicating the importance of water conservation and environmental preservation through its participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade, Rain Bird’s Preservation Celebration paid tribute to the central role that water plays in sustaining all of the Earth’s inhabitants. In accordance with the 2008 Rose Parade theme, Passport to the World's Celebrations, and Rain Bird’s steadfast commitment to The Intelligent Use of Water, the 55-foot long, 32-foot high Preservation Celebration float vividly captured the intimate relationship between water and life by celebrating India’s rich heritage of weaving water into the fabric of its cultural celebrations.

With water as the signature component of a Rain Bird float, Preservation Celebration dazzled parade-goers with over 1,500 gallons of flowing recycled water cascading over eight waterfalls in a brilliant display to highlight the company’s corporate philosophy of promoting environmental preservation through The Intelligent Use of Water.

“As has been the case with all of Rain Bird’s previous floats, Preservation Celebration focused on bringing awareness to the central role that water plays in sustaining all of the Earth’s inhabitants, and aimed to inspire the public to think about the part that each of us plays, and the actions we can take towards preserving our natural surroundings for the enjoyment of future generations,” said Rain Bird’s Director of Corporate Marketing, Dave Johnson. “We always set out to make a dramatic impact with every one of our float entries, and are delighted to be recognized by the Tournament of Roses judges as we continue to bolster awareness of the need to use water more efficiently through the world’s most watched parade."

The 2008 Sweepstakes Trophy is Rain Bird’s eleventh award in twelve years as a participant in the New Year’s Day classic, having previously won the parade’s top honor in 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999 and 1998; Judge’s Special Trophy in 2007; Grand Marshal’s Trophy in 2004; President’s Trophy in 2000; and Director’s Trophy in 1997.

On board Rain Bird’s Preservation Celebration were animal enthusiasts and environmental ambassadors Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio and host of Into The Wild (who has ridden on Rain Bird’s floats from 1999 through 2008); and Walter Crawford, Founder and Executive Director of the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, Missouri (who joined Mr. Hanna on Rain Bird’s floats beginning in 2001).

Built by the award-winning team at Fiesta Parade Floats, and designed by renowned float designer Raul Rodriguez, Preservation Celebration featured a trio of majestic Bengal tigers, whimsical monkeys, and spectacular albino peacocks frolicking among eight cascading waterfalls and lagoons in a jungle of exotic flowers, vines and gardens that have claimed the exotic temple ruins of civilizations past.

A behind the scenes look at the making of Rain Bird’s 2008 Sweepstakes winning float entry is available by visiting Rain Bird’s YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/RainBirdCorp.