Rose Parade: Catching up with the volunteers behind the world-famous floats

PASADENA, Calif. - One of the Rose Parade’s greatest assets is the army of volunteers who make the festivities happen.

The parade volunteers work on the floats produced by various float-making companies. Many of the volunteers come back year after year to offer their time and patience plastering seeds and spices onto the floats.

When you talk to them, you’ll see that they love making world-famous floats and seeing the smiles on the families watching the parade.

Retired music teacher Paul Sims says his been doing this for about 7 years and each year, he can’t wait to come back. Why? He says it’s just "satisfying, somehow."

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Liz Aguayo has been float decorating since she was in high school. This year she brought her 13-year-old daughter, who brought her 13-year-old friend Sofia Berry - both first-timers. 

Berry said she’s amazed at what goes on the floats.

"It’s like we were collecting rice," she says. "I saw how many variations of rice there are.  And, it was just amazing cause you think about all the meticulous detail goes into these floats… it’s amazing."

Christina Siuner is a foreign exchange student from Austria. Not only has she never decorated a float, she’s never seen the parade even though it is broadcast internationally.

Artistic Entertainment Services or AES is one of the big float makers who work on floats for the Tournament of Roses Parade. All of the float makers need volunteers to paste lentils, corn meal, coconut flakes, macaroons, spices and other decorative materials onto the floats.

Meanwhile, the CEO for AES Craig Bugjaiski says come on down or sign up on their web page. Volunteers, he says, are always welcome.  If you want to volunteer just go to this webpage and sign up Aescreative.com/volunteers.