The American Legion Family will take part in a New Year’s Day tradition. In honor of the American Legion’s 100^th birthday March 15, a centennial float will be in this year’s 130^th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif.

The centennial float has a prominent spot in the parade. It will be the third float directly behind the Marine Corps band. The 5 ½ mile parade route is lined with hundreds of thousands of spectators and millions of viewers at home. It is estimated that 44 million people watched the parade on television in 2018. The parade is 2 ½ hours long, but considering the float is third, we suggest you don’t miss the beginning of the parade.

ALA members will see some familiar faces riding on the float. American Legion Auxiliary National President Kathy Dungan and ALA Girls Nation President Hoda Abdalla will be on the float. Other Legion members include National Commander Brett Reistad, Sons of the American Legion National Commander Greg “Doc” Gibbs, 2018 American Legion Boys Nation President Joshua Cheadle, Samsung American Legion scholar Jack Gardner, Olympic gold medalist and American Legion air-rifle champion Jamie Corkish, and an American Legion rider. Also on the float, a Medal of Honor recipient from each of the war eras and a representative from each of the five military branches.

In the days leading up the parade, a delegation of American Legion Family members and youth program participants will decorate the float. The youth delegation includes girls participating in ALA Girls State in California.

To Watch

Date: Jan. 1, 2019

Time: 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST)

Where: ABC, NBC, Hallmark Channel, and other select channels. Be sure to check your local listings.

For more information on the Tournament of Roses, go to www.tournamentofroses.com.