OneLegacy will be honoring 14 people who gave the gift of life with its 2025 Rose Parade float.
The float’s theme, Let Your Life Soar, showcases the Japanese tradition of Children’s Day with colorful koi fish, a pagoda, and a bridge.
“In Japan, the koi fish represents strength, courage and health,” said OneLegacy’s Tom Mone.
Yasushi Iseda is one of the local organ donors who will be posthumously honored on the float. His daughter said he would have loved it.
“I think it's all that more fitting that the float does have a Japanese theme and him being full Japanese, so I feel like things have kind of come full circle,” she told KNX News’ Karen Adams. “From going through a traumatic loss to then being able to have his organs donated and can kind of like seeing his legacy still live on through somebody else.”
Ani will be riding on the float on New Year’s Day along with other donor families and recipients, including Celina Medina, who received two kidneys over the years.
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“I don't know my donor family, my second transplant,” Medina said. “I take all of you as my donor family because I'm grateful every day I am here. I got a chance to see my girls live.”
OneLegacy’s Donate Life float has appeared in the Rose Parade for the past 22 years.
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