RAIN BIRD's 2008 Float Wins Sweepstakes TROPHY at Rose Parade

PASADENA, CA - Rain Bird, was awarded the Tournament of Roses Sweepstakes Trophy in recognition of its 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade entry, Preservation Celebration. Awarded to the float entry deemed the most beautiful by a panel of expert judges, the 2008 Sweepstakes Trophy win marks the eleventh time in twelve years that Rain Bird has been awarded for its Rose Parade float entry, and the seventh time the company has won the parade's top honor. Building on a tradition of communicating the importance of water conservation and environmental preservation through its participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade, Rain Bird's Preservation Celebration paid tribute to the central role that water plays in sustaining all of the Earth's inhabitants. In accordance with the 2008 Rose Parade theme, Passport to the World's Celebrations, and Rain Bird's steadfast commitment to The Intelligent Use of Water, the 55-foot long, 32-foot high Preservation Celebration float vividly captured the intimate relationship between water and life by celebrating India's rich heritage of weaving water into the fabric of its cultural celebrations. With water as the signature component of a Rain Bird float, Preservation Celebration dazzled parade-goers with over 1,500 gallons of flowing recycled water cascading over eight waterfalls in a brilliant display to highlight the company's corporate philosophy of promoting environmental preservation through The Intelligent Use of Water. On board Rain Bird's Preservation Celebration were animal enthusiasts and environmental ambassadors Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio and host of Into The Wild (who has ridden on Rain Bird's floats from 1999 through 2008); and Walter Crawford, Founder and Executive Director of the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, Missouri (who joined Mr. Hanna on Rain Bird's floats beginning in 2001).