Loved Ones Lost in Wildfires Remembered With Rose Parade® Float Flowers
With roses and reflections, joy and pain, their family and friends remembered.
They remembered Erliene Kelley, a beloved fixture in Altadena who dispensed hugs as readily as she scooped ice cream for families flocking to the old Thrifty Drug Store on Lake Avenue. Before the horrific Eaton Fire took her, she was a devoted grandmother and avid John Muir Mustangs football fan.
Evelyn McClendon. She sang opera, drove a school bus for children with special needs and loved Jesus more than anything.
Lora Swayne. She taught her younger brother David how to wrap presents and cha cha, impressing him with her coolest friends ever – the head drummer in the John Muir band!
Mr. Nickerson. His first name was Rodney but Aria Greenlee will never call him anything but Mr. Nickerson so as not to disrespect the kind, quiet man who always waved hello when he was outside watering his lawn and his beautiful white flowers.
They were among the 31 people who perished in the wildfires that ravaged Altadena, Pasadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu on Jan. 7. Annette. Anthony. Arthur. Barbara. Betty. Carolyn. Charlie. Dalyce. Diana. Edwin. Elizabeth. Hak. Jeffrey. Justin. Kim. Mark. Miva. Oswald. Patricia. Randall. Rory. Victor. Zhi Feng. Stacey. Kevin. Juan. Marilyn.
Nearly a year later, their families and friends came together to honor them as they shared stories, tears and hugs. Then, with a special memento of remembrance, they placed roses for their loved ones on a Rose Parade® float dedicated to wildfire survivors.
The float, “Rising Together,” is co-sponsored by the California Community Foundation and Black Freedom Fund as a tribute to the resilience, courage and unity of those who suffered in the catastrophic fires. They include 13,000 people who lost their homes – 70% of them still displaced and many experiencing financial instability, depression and stress.
CCF President and CEO Miguel A. Santana assured the families that they would never be forgotten.
“It is intentional that we work together to not only rebuild our community,
but more importantly, to heal together,” he told those gathered for a memorial breakfast at the Rosemont Pavilion grounds in Pasadena, where volunteers were decorating the float. “We felt it was important the California Community Foundation and the Black Freedom Fund work together on this quintessential Southern California event to remind not just each other and other Angelenos, but to remind the world that what happened almost a year ago actually happened and and that people today are still struggling and in pain and unsettled.
“It is our intention that even for one day, as you see the float go down a very familiar route for us as Angelenos, that you know that you are not alone, that we all stand with you and that we’re here to support you through this very painful journey.”
BFF President and CEO Marc Philpart also pledged his foundation’s commitment, however long the recovery takes.
“We know that the road to recovery is a long one, filled with fits and starts and ups and downs,” Philpart said. “But in our institutions, you have allies, you have partners, and you have people who are committed to ensuring that you walk through this with support and in a way that allows you to have your dignity and to have the memories of those who have been lost and be honored.”
Several people shared stories about their loved ones with smiles and tears. Pastor Jon Decuir of Victory Bible Church in Pasadena encouraged them to grieve, noting that the shortest verse in the Bible is: “Jesus wept.”
Then, one by one, the survivors wrote down the name of their loved ones, some adding messages, on a piece of paper. They attached it to a peach-hued rose and placed it on the float.
Blessings. I miss U. You made it. Lived loved remembered.
Zaire Calvin still can’t fathom how his sister Evelyn failed to make it out of her home before the fierce flames demolished all five properties he and his family shared in Altadena. He says he will never be able to unsee the sight of finding her in the ashes. But on this day, he remembered how she inspired him with advice that has long been his north star, especially now that his life has been turned upside down as he helps spearhead the rebuilding and recovery efforts for his family and his community.
Little brother, make sure you stop and smell the flowers.
And that’s what he wrote in his message to her, placed on a float fragrant with orchids, mums, carnations, roses. He breathed in the scent as he laid down his rose and written remembrance for her:
Evelyn, you told me to make time to stop and smell the flowers.
– Teresa Watanabe
