Seven lucky residents will experience the opportunity of a lifetime when they ride atop the City’s 2009 Rose Parade float during the 120th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.
The residents were randomly selected from a drawing during Monday’s City Council meeting among hundreds who competed in the City’s online contest for a chance to ride on Mission Viejo’s float entry, “Making a Splash.”
The City’s float illustrates life in Mission Viejo by showcasing community and recreational activities as “entertainment.” Citizens entered the contest to represent their City in seven categories – baseball; soccer; tennis; softball; golf; a veteran’s category; and an all-encompassing Mission Viejo resident category.
The following residents were chosen (pending verification of qualifications) to ride on Mission Viejo’s 2009 Rose Parade float:
Baseball – Cole Trussell
Soccer – Cassidy Reid
Tennis – Shirley Zimmer
Softball – Lauren Diuco
Veteran – Robert Ruben
Golf – Rebecca Berge
Mission Viejo Resident – Kristin Griffith
The float riders will join three members of the Mission Viejo Nadadores who will dive into roughly 10 tons of water as the float travels down the five-and-a-half mile Rose Parade route. The renowned Nadadores selected the following swimmers to participate in the New Year’s Day excitement:
Mark Anderson
Anderson, 13, is a diver who could one day see Olympic Gold. The talented youngster was runner-up in the 13-and-under platform event at the 2008 Junior Olympic Diving National Championship and was selected to participate in the United States Diving’s Talent Development Program. The program seeks to identify divers with Olympic medal potential.
Chloe Sutton
Sutton’s dedication to the sport is nothing less than inspiring. The 16-year-old athlete swims 10-15,000 yards per day, 4 hours a day; six days a week. Her dedication led to victory in the 10K Beijing Event 10km open water swimming marathon –making her the first U.S. female swimmer to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games. She has also captured a bronze medal in the 5K at the 2008 Open Water World Championships and gold in the 10K at the 2007 London World Cup. Sutton defended her national title in the 10K and won the 5K at the 2007 Open Water Nationals.
Patrick Early
Early, 12, has his sights set on one day becoming an Olympic team member, and his impressive record shows that he is certainly on his way. He has more than 20 Junior Olympic career titles and Gold medals and holds three Nadadore age-group team records including the 50m, 100m, and 200m breaststroke. Early is the top USA swimming power-point ranking Nadadore and is a member of 2008 North American Challenge Cup Team. The team is an age-group elite international competition.
Residents are encouraged to visit the City’s blog at http://missionviejolife.org and signup for its E-news at www.cityofmissionviejo.org to stay apprised of float-decorating opportunities and related exciting activities leading up to the 120th Tournament of Roses Parade.
For more information, contact the Recreation and Community Services Department at 949-470-3061 or recreation@cityofmissionviejo.org.
