AHF Rose Parade Float Celebrates… ‘A Girl’s World of Adventure’
AHF’s float celebrates and seeks to empower young girls the world
over as it poignantly captures the Tournament of Roses 2016 parade
theme: ‘Find Your Adventure.’
Inspired by Art Deco designs and Works Progress Administration
artisans, AHF’s float features an 11-foot spinning golden globe
surrounded by four 8-foot tall floral girls from around the world
dressed as potential professions girls may pursue. Riders include five
10 and 11 year-old girls—three of whom are HIV-positive—from around the
US: Chicago, Florida, Arizona, Compton and Los Angeles.
On December 30, the girls will be feted at a special ‘Tea Party
Reception’ at Hollywood’s iconic Yamashiro restaurant after having their
hair and makeup done by AHF’s 2014 Rose Parade same-sex wedding couple
Aubrey Loots and Danny Leclair at their StudioDNA Hair Salon in
Hollywood.
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–For the fifth year in a row, AIDS
Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization,
will take part in the Tournament of Roses’ iconic Rose
Parade on Friday, January 1, 2016. This year, AHF’s float, ‘A
Girl’s World of Adventure,’ celebrates and seeks to empower
young girls the world over as it poignantly captures the Tournament of
Roses official 2016 parade theme: ‘Find Your Adventure.’
AHF’s ‘A Girl’s World of Adventure—It’s Her
Journey’ Rose Parade Float
AHF’s 2016 float, inspired by Art Deco designs and Works Progress
Administration (WPA) artisans, features an 11-foot spinning golden globe
surrounded by four 8-foot tall floral girls from around the world
dressed as potential professions girls may pursue today: a construction
worker, a teacher, a doctor or medical worker and a businesswoman.
Working together, these four floral girls also hold the world at their
finger tips as they jointly hoist the spinning globe.
Riders include five 10 and 11 year-old girls from around the US, three
of whom are HIV-positive. The girls include: Gloria, 10,
Glendale, AZ; Tatianna, 11, Chicago, IL; Jenna, 11, Los
Angeles, CA; Iliana, 10, Compton, CA and Sarah, 11,
Seffner, FL. Three of the girls came to AHF’s attention via Project
Kindle, a nationwide project for children impacted by HIV/AIDS. The
organization improves the quality of life of thousands for children,
young adults, and families facing medical complications through
recreational experiences, educational services, and support programs.
Many girls around the world and throughout the U.S. often face risks
that negatively affect their potential to grow up healthy and happy. A
lack of educational opportunities, poverty, health and safety issues may
all be part of their daily lives. AHF’s float (and related Rose Parade
activities) this year celebrates and seeks to inspire and empower these
women of tomorrow as girls today.
“Having traveled the world in my job at AHF, I have seen firsthand what
an incredibly important issue the plight of girls and young women is
today. It is an honor to dedicate this year’s AHF Rose Parade float to
inspiring and empowering all young girls and women,” said Michael
Weinstein, President of AHF.
At the forefront of the growing girl empowerment movement is Women of
Action (WOA), AHF’s newest advocacy effort, which, as part of a UN
effort in October, hosted girl-centric
activities in China, Russia, India, Mexico, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria,
Uganda, and the United States to foster talk of girls’ hopes, fears, and
dreams; to help them build relationships in their community—and for them
to simply have fun.
Dec. 30th
‘Tea Party Reception’ at Yamashiro Honors AHF’s Five Rose Parade Float
Riders
As part of its 2016 ‘A Girl’s World of Adventure’ Rose Parade
activities, AHF and Women of Action will host a special private ‘Tea
Party Reception’ honoring the five girls riding on AHF’s float at
Hollywood’s iconic Yamashiro
restaurant (1999 N. Sycamore, Hollywood 90068) on Wednesday, December 30th
from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm. The Tea Party Reception will blend elements
of traditional Japanese tea with an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ sensibility,
featuring creative ‘tea party’ attire as well as place cards and
decorations highlighting famous women of accomplishment throughout
history. NOTE: Media Credentialing is requested for this Tea Party event.
AHF’s 2014 Rose Parade Same-sex Wedding Couple
to do Hair, Makeup for the Girls at StudioDNA
As an added Rose Parade-themed twist and special treat for the girls
riding on AHF’s float, the five young ladies will have their hair and
makeup done at the salon of AHF’s 2014 Rose Parade same-sex wedding
couple, Aubrey
Loots and Danny
Leclair, at their StudioDNA Hair Salon in Hollywood. Loots and
Leclair—together for over a decade—garnered international headlines in
the 2014 Rose Parade when they legally wed atop a three tier floral cake
on AHF’s ‘Love is the Best Protection’ float in 2014.
“The official 2014 Rose Parade theme was ‘Living the Dream,’ and
two years later, I am happy to report that Aubrey and I are still
together, stronger than ever and living the dream. We remain very
grateful to the Tournament of Roses for their unwavering support and
solidarity with us during our wedding ceremony in the 2014 Rose Parade,”
said Danny Leclair, co-owner with Loots of the popular and
award-winning Studio
DNA Salons, a chain of two successful L.A. area hair salons. “It
will be both a privilege and a treat for us to pamper these five young
ladies before their own big day in this year’s Rose Parade.”
| WHAT: |
MEDIA OPPORTUNITY—AHF’s 2014 Rose Parade Same-sex Wedding Couple to do Hair, Makeup for AHF’s five (5) ‘A Girl’s World of Adventure’ Rose Parade float riders |
||
| WHEN: | Wednesday, December 30th 2015—11:30 AM | ||
| WHERE: |
Studio DNA Salon 151 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles 90036 (323) |
||
| WHO: | Danny Leclair (& Aubrey Loots), StudioDNA Salon | ||
|
|
Float Riders: Gloria, Tatianna, Jenna, Iliana & Sarah |
||
| AHF CONTACT: | Ged Kenslea, (323) 791-5526 m (323) 308-1833 w |
AHF’s Rose Parade History
AHF’s four previous Rose Parade entries include:
-
2012: ‘Our Champion,’ a tribute to Elizabeth Taylor for her
tireless advocacy and work in the fight against AIDS. Earned the
Tournament’s ‘Queen’s Trophy.’ -
2013: ‘The Global Face of AIDS,’ a global salute to AHF
patients and medical staff from around the world. Earned the
Tournament’s ‘Queen’s Trophy.’ -
2014: ‘Love is the Best Protection,’ featured the same-sex
wedding—a Tournament first—of Aubrey Loots and Danny Leclair. Earned
the Tournament’s ‘Isabella Coleman Trophy.’ -
2015: ‘Protecting Global Health,’ honored Ebola First
Responders, including two AHF doctors in Africa, dr. Sheik Hummar Khan
and Dr. John Taban Dada, who died of Ebola while caring for patients.
Fiesta Floats of Irwindale is envisioning and constructing AHF’s 2016 ‘A
Girl’s World of Adventure’ parade entry, as it did for AHF’s previous
four entries.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS
organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more
than 500,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa,
Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To
learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org,
find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth
and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.
Contacts
AHF
Ged Kenslea, +1-323-308-1833
+1-323-791-5526 mobile
ged.kenslea@aidshealth.org
or
Christopher
Johnson, +1-323-308-1805
+1-310-880-9913 mobile
christopher.johnson@aidshealth.org
