Valley Kiwanis Club volunteers help with Rose Parade

http://www.kmph.com/global/story.asp?s=11746097

FRESNO, CALIFORNIA (KMPH News by Norma Yuriar) - With just days to go preparations are in overdrive for 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade.  Volunteers have until New Year's Eve to finish floats for the granddaddy of all parades.

In Fresno, Kiwanis Club volunteers are getting on a Charter Bus at 3:45am Wednesday to put final touches on eight different floats.

"As Division 5, we have the privilege of putting the flowers on to the floats," Rose Float Volunteer Stephanie Ma said.

It's a lot of fun, but things can get a little messy.

"Hopefully not getting as much glue on my hands as last year, that was probably the hardest part - getting all the glue off," Rose Float Volunteer Kristen Berg said.

Berg and the rest will join hundreds of other Key Club and Circle K members from across the state.

"Without us and the other volunteers, you wouldn't see those floats going down the Boulevard on New Year's," Kiwanis Club Supervisor Michael Berdinella said.  "We have 300 people going, from Merced to Visalia in my group."

Division 5 Kiwanis Club Advisor Michael Berdinella says students will attach thousands of roses and other flower petals to the Kiwanis International Rose Float.

"The float will be a forest theme," he said.  "A tree house, looking into backyards."

This year's theme is; 2010 A Cut Above the Rest.

"It should be really pretty," Berg said.  "We should be able to add a lot of natural colors."

They use more than just flowers.

"We use anything that was once alive, sea weed, saw dust, bark, leaves, everything," Rose Float Volunteer Azlynn Taylor and Stephanie Ma both say one of the best parts is watching the finished product on TV.

"Yeah, I actually saw it a couple of years ago, the float that we worked on, it felt really good to know we actually helped make that," Ma said.

The volunteers leave first thing in the morning from Manchester Center in Fresno to Pasadena.

"It's great experience, a life time memory, being able to see everyone in the community of California getting involved," Rose Float Volunteer Gary Kong said.

For more information on the Kiwanis Club go to, www.division5trojans.webs.com