Canadian float celebrating Coding for Veterans to participate in Rose Bowl Parade

A Canadian float from Coding for Veterans will participate in the Rose Bowl Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena, California. (Photo: C4V)

A Canadian parade float will be featured in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena next week.

Coding for Veterans is building a float for the parade, set to take place on Wednesday.

It will be the only Canadian float to participate in the iconic parade, which is annually viewed by millions on a national telecast.

The organization retrains veterans for careers in cybersecurity after their military service. According to media release, the organization has trained more than 800 military veterans in the program, which is affiliated with University of Ottawa in Canada and the USC Marshall School of Business in the U.S.

About 750 volunteers are working on the float, which will take an estimated 6,000 hours to complete.

The massive float will be entirely covered in organic material, including flowers, seeds and herbs.

It will be the second consecutive year that Coding for Veterans has participated in the Rose Bowl Parade, with last year’s entry winning the International Award.

“It was a thrill of a lifetime, an experience I will never forget,” said Coding for Veterans executive director Jeff Musson.

“From conception to construction, our new interactive float will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people who line the parade route on New Year’s Day.

“Once again, we will also have military veterans and families riding on our float,” he added. “Being the only Canadian float taking part is truly an honour.”

Rose Bowl Parade president Ed Morales said the theme for 2025 is “Best Day Ever” – which is why it’s appropriate to celebrate Coding for Veterans.

“Their dedication to helping veterans transition into new careers in technology is both inspiring and impactful,” Morales said, “and their hard work was rightfully recognized with the international float award at the 2024 parade."

The 2024 float was part  of the Stampede Parade in Calgary, where it won a second award for Best Avenue Engagement.