2016 Rose Parade: AHF’s Float Celebrates ‘A Girl’s World of Adventure’

In News by AHF

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 (December 18, 2015) 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 2016 Rose Parade®

on Friday, January 1st. 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 celebrating and empowering such young girls and women is today,” 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) 930-0700

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.

Countdown to Rose Parade: Meet Tatianna and Gloria
Countdown to Rose Parade: Meet Sarah