Notaries Honored In Rose Parade; NNA Float Wins ˜Fantasy Trophy”
By Michael Lewis January 02, 2007
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New Year's Day may have marked the 118th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade, but it was a first for the nation's 4.5 million Notaries. In the first ever recognition of its kind, the nation's Notaries were honored with a float in one of the most famous and enduring parades in America while, at the same time, the National Notary Association kicked-off its 50th Anniversary celebration.
The float, themed "Signed, Sealed and Delivered," was honored by Tournament officials with the "Fantasy Trophy," which is awarded for the best display of fantasy and imagination. The float also garnered significant television and print media attention before and after the parade with prominent coverage in dozens of major daily newspapers including The Los Angeles Times. Photos and stories also appeared on news wire services around the globe, and in prime time television spots reaching millions of readers and viewers.
"This was one of the proudest moments in the history of Notaries and the NNA," said Melinda Barrett, the NNA's Communications Group Manager. "We honored Notaries and the tremendous contributions they make” in front of the whole world.
"This was a great way to have 50 million viewers all thinking about Notaries at the same time."
It was estimated that as many as 50 million Americans watched the parade, which was broadcast on network and cable television. Millions more watched it in 150 countries.
And then there were the one million spectators who lined the five-and-a-half mile parade route along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena , California .
Acclaimed film director George Lucas served as the Grand Marshal of the Parade ”which was themed "Our Good Nature” and he was immediately followed by the NNA entry, one of 45 floats, 16 marching bands and 23 equestrian units in the annual extravaganza.
The NNA float was 55 feet long, 18 feet wide and built around the theme, "Signed, Sealed and Delivered” may have been a first-time entry, but it certainly stood out. Its central feature was a 35-foot-tall tree house. At the base of the tree, a family of squirrels was moving into their new home while a rabbit Notary handed over the deed.
In the weeks leading up to the parade, NNA members, employees and their families and friends volunteered to help with the decorating.