The day after New Year’s, Loyola Marymount University will be marking the university’s 100th birthday with a celebration in Pasadena, and a ride down Colorado Boulevard on a float covered in flowers.
LMU Lions – students, alumni, faculty and friends – see the event as the high point of the LMU centennial, but to everyone else, of course, it is the Tournament of Roses Parade®.
Welcome to partying with the LMU Lions, who are making the Jan. 2, 2012, Rose Parade part of university history. They will gather by the thousands to lift a glass and toast the LMU float in this beloved New Year’s event. The float features iconic symbols of the university, capturing the spirit and traditions of LMU, one of the nation’s premier Catholic universities.
And, in the true spirit of service and community that are hallmarks of LMU, the float was funded by gifts from alumni, corporations, parents and friends. During early December, students and alumni groups put the initial decorations on the float. In the coming week, they and other volunteers will spend hours adding the spectacular flowers that will bring life to the float. Friends of the university will be arriving, some from as far away as Connecticut, to do the decorating and join the festivities.
“We are proud to celebrate our 100th birthday and participate in of one of Southern California’s great traditions by having a float in the Rose Parade,” said LMU President David W. Burcham. “The float showcases the architectural beauty, academic strength and natural setting of our campus. Moreover, it captures the rich religious traditions upon which LMU is founded.”
During the first frenzied days of decorating in early December, an alumni couple got engaged on the float, sitting on a replica of the famous “kissing benches” that are a feature of the campus bluff that overlooks Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.
The LMU centennial theme is “LMU at 100: Learn. Lead. Serve.” The 2012 Rose Parade theme is “Just Imagine,” and that fits well with the LMU centennial and speaks to 100 years of growth, progress and innovation at LMU.
Since the university’s founding in 1911, LMU has provided an educational mission that promotes the encouragement of learning, education of the whole person, and the service of faith and promotion of justice.
What better way to celebrate than a gorgeous floral replica of the university in the Rose Parade?
The LMU Rose Parade float captures the beauty of the campus. The 55-foot float features the classic LMU “bluff” letters, the triumphant LMU Lion mascot, which roars atop the new William H. Hannon Library. The iconic Sacred Heart Chapel boasts a 30-foot bell tower that chimes as fireworks celebrate the university’s birthday with a bang.
Media are alerted that university friends and alumni will preview the float from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27 at the Rose Palace, 835 S. Raymond Ave. Media are welcome at this reception but are asked to reserve space by contacting Celeste Durant, director of communications and media relations at (424) 225-0836.
About Loyola Marymount University
Located between the Pacific Ocean and downtown Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive university offering 56 major programs, 38 master’s degrees and a doctoral degree in education from four colleges, two schools and Loyola Law School. Founded in 1911, LMU is ranked fourth in “Best Regional Universities/West” by U.S. News & World Report. LMU is the largest Catholic university for undergraduates on the West Coast with nearly 5,800 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate and law students. For more LMU news and events, please visit www.lmu.edu/news.
