Baystate Wing Hospital Partners with New England Donor Services on Rose Parade Float

PALMER — Baystate Wing Hospital leadership is partnering with New England Donor Services to honor and remember those who gave the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. On Jan. 1, 2024, the Donate Life Rose Parade Float, titled “Woven Together: The Dance of Life,” will include a dedication garden made up of roses with handwritten dedications by hospital CEOs across the country, including Ron Bryant, president of Baystate Health Regional Hospitals, and Karli Barrett, vice president, chief nursing officer, and chief administrative officer for Baystate Health Eastern Region.

“Through this rose dedication, our Baystate Wing Hospital team recognizes our dedication and commitment to the lifesaving and healing generosity of organ and tissue donation. We are grateful to be part of this celebration of life to be viewed by millions on New Year’s Day,” Barrett said.

Since its debut on New Year’s Day in 2004, the Donate Life Rose Parade Float has become the world’s most visible campaign to inspire people to become organ and tissue donors. In addition to the 40 million viewers who watch the Rose Parade on TV and along the parade route, events are held around the country to complete the ‘floragraph’ images of donors that adorn the float.

The “Woven Together: The Dance of Life” float showcases the culture of the Hopi, native to the American Southwest. This group of Pueblo Native Americans is one of the oldest cultures in the U.S., originating approximately 7,000 years ago. The Hopi have always been outstanding weavers and artisans, and their dances include colorful costumes and impressive headdresses, which will be reflected in the float’s design.