🎥 Behind the Scenes: Rotary’s 2026 Rose Parade Float — The Magic of Teamwork Step inside the Irwindale float warehouse with Paul Ward and get a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how Rotary brings a Rose Parade float to life! In this episode of On the Road with Paul Ward, we meet members of the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee as they put the final touches on Rotary’s largest float yet—a bold, colorful design featuring an African safari / jungle animal theme and Rotary’s message to the world: “Unite for Good” and “The Magic of Teamwork.”

From the professional mechanics and construction to the hundreds of volunteers adding floral detail by hand, this is what it truly takes to create parade magic—and why Rotary’s presence on this global stage matters.

✅ In this episode:

• Why Rotary participates in the Rose Parade (and what it does for Rotary worldwide)

• How the float is designed, built, and decorated

• How Interact youth get involved and earn service hours

• Funding, sponsorships, and ways clubs can support the float • Where to see the floats up close after January 1 👥 Featured Guests

• Wade Nomura — Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee (Past Chair)

• Raghada Khouri — Committee Member

• Nancy Filkins — Committee Member / Floral & Float Design Background

• Mary Lingua — Camarillo Rotary Club (Interact youth involvement)

🙏 Sponsored by Pathway Escrow — proud sponsor of On the Road with Paul Ward.

📍 Filmed On Location: Irwindale, California (Rose Parade float build site)

📌 Connect with Paul Ward Paul Ward — Home & Ranch Team (Keller Williams West Ventura County) 📞 (805) 479-5004 | ✉️ paul@homeandranchteam.com

👍 If you enjoyed this episode:

• Subscribe to the channel

• Share with a Rotarian (or someone who should become one!)

• Drop a comment: Have you ever helped decorate a float?

#RoseParade #RotaryInternational #UniteForGood #CommunityService #OnTheRoadWithPaulWard #Camarillo #Volunteer #ServiceAboveSelf #PathwayEscrow

• 00:02 — Sponsor shoutout + inside the Irwindale float warehouse
• 01:35 — This year’s message: Unite for Good + Magic of Teamwork
• 01:57 — Float concept reveal: African safari/jungle animals
• 03:38 — How floats are built: pros handle mechanics, volunteers bring it to life
• 04:45 — Raghada: “Rotary is the best-kept secret” (and why the parade helps)
• 06:58 — Nancy: floral design, committee involvement, and fresh flower plans
• 08:45 — Funding breakdown + how the float is supported each year
• 10:31 — Post-parade viewing + float tours and education for the public
• 11:12 — The International Presidents Summit (service org leaders together)
• 12:38 — Mary: Interact students, service hours, and how youth participate
• 14:13 — How the design gets chosen (renderings → finalists → final pick)
• 17:56 — Why Rotary does it: public image + millions of viewers worldwide
• 20:06 — Rotary pins, collectors, and how the committee is organized
• 22:37 — Wrap-up + Paul’s promise to keep spreading the good word of Rotary