Local Organ, Eye and Tissue Donors, Living Donors and Recipients to be Honored on the 2025 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® Float on New Year’s Day

Published 11 days ago via Business Wire

OneLegacy will honor 19 Southern Californians whose lives have been touched by the power of organ, eye and tissue donation on the 2025 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float, themed “Let Your Life Soar.” The announcement was made at a press event that took place earlier this month at Rosemont Pavilion in Pasadena, where the float is being decorated with dried organic materials by Artistic Entertainment Services (AES) staff and volunteers, ahead of the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.

Representing honorees ranging from a 2-year-old toddler, to an 80-year-old grandfather, the 2025 OneLegacy Donate Life float local honorees share amazing and inspiring stories of donation.

“OneLegacy is honored to share and celebrate the powerful and inspiring stories of donors, recipients, and families who are generously sharing their journeys with our communities and media colleagues locally, nationally, and around the world on New Year’s Day at the iconic Rose Parade,” said Tom Mone, Chief External Affairs Officer of OneLegacy and OneLegacy Donate Life float’s Co-Chair. “We look forward to showing our finished float and the importance of saying ‘YES’ to organ, eye and tissue donation with the world on New Year’s Day when our float rides down the streets of Pasadena.”

The 2025 OneLegacy Donate Life float’s Southern California honorees, sponsored by OneLegacy, include:

Three organ and tissue recipients who received a second chance at life thanks to their donors:

  • Celina Medina, a two-time kidney recipient from Long Beach, whose life was saved by her brother once, and a second time by a deceased donor. She volunteers her time as a OneLegacy Ambassador to share her story and inspire others to say “YES” to donation.
  • Jaylee Bou-Silverio, a 15-year-old liver recipient from Bellflower and the youngest rider on the 2025 OneLegacy Donate Life float. Jaylee received her transplant when she was an infant from OneLegacy Ambassador and 2018 float walker, Elaine Jones.
  • Jessica Horton, a cornea recipient and OneLegacy Ambassador from Lancaster who was born with congenital glaucoma, and whose sight has been restored 3 times, thanks to cornea donors.

Two living donors who gave a second chance at life to others with their gifts:

  • Josh Harrold, a two-time living donor from Anaheim Hills, who donated a kidney to a friend, and a couple of years later, a lobe of his liver to an infant
  • Tara Hernandez, a living kidney donor from Temecula who donated a kidney to a community member after learning that he needed a lifesaving transplant on social media, and who volunteers her time to inspire others as a OneLegacy Ambassador

14 organ, eye or tissue donors who gave the gift of life after their death:

  • Aaron Clark, a 50-year-old husband, grandfather and organ donor from Oxnard,
  • Athena Zepeda, a 20-year-old MMA fighter and aspiring model from Whittier, who donated her organs, tissues and corneas after unknowingly taking fentanyl at a party,
  • Celeste Covarrubias, a mother of 3 from Hesperia, who lost her life giving birth due to placenta previa and became an organ donor,
  • Charles Torres, a 56-year-old sports fan from San Bernardino, who donated his corneas,
  • Cody Enborg, a 24-year-old from San Bernardino who was passionate about music and who saved the lives of 3 women as an organ donor,
  • Corroundlet Sheard, a 60-year-old grandmother from Pasadena who grew up watching the parade every year, and who donated her corneas and tissues,
  • David Compton, a young car and motorcycle enthusiast from Lakewood who became a cornea and tissue donor,
  • Drake Ruiz, a 16-year-old cornea and tissue donor from Corona, whose family said “YES” to donation after his untimely death from a hit and run accident,
  • Elliot Rouff, a 31-year-old Coast Guard veteran from Lake Forest, whose tissues healed 67 people in 15 states,
  • Nicolas Salazar, a 22-year-old kind and hard working young man from Pico Rivera who saved five lives as an organ donor,
  • Patricia Hamilton, a 49-year-old mother, hairdresser and organ donor from Orange, who saved several lives, including the life of 3 time kidney recipient, OneLegacy Ambassador and 2019 Donate Life float rider, Jolene Vargas,
  • Philip Schwartz, a Los Angeles son and brother who cherished Jewish holidays and family traditions and who became an organ donor after suffering from a seizure,
  • Sire Porchia, a 2-year-old toddler from Eastvale, whose parents made the courageous decision to say “YES” to organ donation, saving children’s lives with his heart valves,
  • Yasushi Iseda, an 80-year-old Japanese internment camp survivor from Riverside, who inspired youth as a teacher and who healed lives as a tissue donor.

Celebrating 22 years of participation in the traditional Rose Parade® New Year’s Day celebrations, the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® Float is the world’s most visible campaign to inspire organ, eye and tissue donation and to deliver the simple and powerful message that donation saves and heals lives. The 2025 float would not be possible without the help of more than 20 sponsors.

To learn more about the OneLegacy Donate Life float, visit onelegacyfloat.org

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