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Shriner's Hospitals

 
Hospital Celebrates Portland Tradition
Marks 13 years with Starlight Parade

2007 Shriners Float featuring
photos of 86 years of
Rose Court visits

2007 marks the 100 year anniversary of the Rose Festival in Portland, Oregon. A popular kick- off event of the festival is the Starlight Parade which is held on the first Saturday night in June--rain or shine. Parade watchers line the streets of downtown Portland late in the day, waiting for the sun to go down and for the night lights to come up from the more than 100 floats, marching units and bands participating in this illuminated parade.

For the past 13 years, the Portland Shriners Hospital has entered a float into the Rose Festival Starlight Parade. This year, the hospital�s float highlighted the close relationship between the Rose Festival and the Portland Shriners Hospital. Four Shriners Hospital patients rode on the float which featured large commemorative photos of previous Rose Court visits to the Portland Shriners Hospital from 1920 through 2006, and enough lights to brighten the streets of downtown Portland. The float was designed by Kay Weber of the hospital�s PR department.

Patient Ambassador
Megan Johnson and a
fellow Shriners patient
enjoy the view atop
the float.

Patient Ambassador Megan Johnson sat atop the float along with three other patients. The children encouraged the crowd on both sides of the street to give a �shout-out� for the float, resulting in a chorus of cheers along the parade route. Signs held by the crowd judged the float to be a �10� and hospital patients and staff who attended the parade called out their greetings and congratulations. The outpouring of community support for Shriners Hospitals was loud and clear.

We wish to thank all those involved with building this year's float: Mel Pittmon, Noel Keister, Rennie Johnson and hospital staff members. A special thank you goes to Frank Merrell in his inaugural year of driving the float.

We also wish to thank The Pacific Northwest Truck Museum, which has donated the use of the truck used to pull the float each year. It was built by Ken Self, CEO of Freightliner and a former member of the hospital�s Board of Governors.

 

  
 
 
Shriners International Headquarters
2900 Rocky Point Dr. Tampa, FL 33607
(813) 281-0300