Members working hard at Post Parade

An event as large as the Tournament of Roses takes about 80,000 hours of combined manpower each year. That manpower is supplied by 935 volunteer members of the Tournament of Roses® Association, each of whom plays an important role in the staging of the Rose Parade® and Rose Bowl Game®. Each volunteer is assigned to one of 32 committees, with responsibilities ranging from selecting Parade participants to directing visitors on New Year's Day, to serving hamburgers to band members at the end of the Parade route, to giving presentations about the Tournament to community groups.

Nicknamed "White Suiters" because of the distinctive white uniform every volunteer wears, these community-spirited men and women give up their evenings, weekends and holidays to ensure the success of the Parade and Game. A small full-time staff provides support and continuity to the volunteer organization.

2009 President Ronald H. (Corky) Conzonire

Overseeing the entire operation is the fourteen-member Executive Committee, the main policy making body of the Association. One of the Executive Committee members is the Tournament of Roses President, who typically serves as a Volunteer for 25 years or more before rising to the Tournament's top office. The President will travel hundreds of thousands of miles during a one-year term, visiting Parade and Game participants and generating enthusiasm for the upcoming festivities.

Applications for membership can be obtained from the Tournament of Roses Administrative office, (626) 449-4100, or by sending an email to Katie McFadden, Director of Membership Services at kmcfadden@rosemail.org.