Wildfire survivors of the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires will participate in the 2026 Rose Parade through a float co-sponsored by the California Community Foundation and the Black Freedom Fund.

The float, named Rising Together, depicts a phoenix rising alongside California native plants and images of the San Gabriel Mountains. It honors the courage and strength of more than 13,000 wildfire survivors and pays tribute to the 31 residents who lost their lives in the fires. Thirty-one sunflowers on the float are meant to represent those lives and serve as a symbol of resilience and hope.

“We did this float to honor community and to draw attention and awareness to the fact that so many people are still displaced, and so many people have such a long way to go in terms of recovery,” Marc Philpart, president and CEO of the Black Freedom Fund, said. 

The Black Freedom Fund is a Black community foundation that invests in organizations serving Black communities and provides leadership programming. After the fires, the fund partnered with the California Community Foundation to create the Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund, which has distributed about $3.7 million to 36 organizations in Altadena and Pasadena.

“The organizations are doing everything from direct cash assistance to helping with temporary housing support to helping people bridge insurance and finance gaps for permanent housing, to making sure that people have basic household necessities,” Philpart said.

The partnership between the California Community Foundation and the Black Freedom Fund grew out of the devastation in January, when both organizations looked for ways to support communities impacted by the fires. The collaboration now extends to the Rose Parade float, which aims to raise awareness about the ongoing recovery needs of wildfire survivors.

The 55-foot-long float was designed with input from wildfire survivors and community members, who supported the phoenix as a symbol of return, rising and hope. Artistic Entertainment Services developed and built the float, which went through several design reviews before construction.

Around eight wildfire survivors will ride on the float, along with community volunteers and grassroots leaders who will also walk alongside it. 

One of the wildfire survivors participating is Andrew King, an Altadena resident who lost his home in the Eaton Fire. For him, the float represents the community coming together to recover and serves as a reminder that while progress has been made, help is still needed.

“It represents togetherness and this notion that whether you’re in Altadena or Palisades or Malibu or Pasadena, it doesn’t matter your race, political creed or income. We are all in this together,” King said.

King lost his home along with 29 neighbors in his neighborhood. In the weeks following the fire, he helped neighbors navigate relief resources, shared information about financial assistance and connected survivors to nonprofit and community support networks.

“I realized that my wife and I, and my family were fortunate … and instead of applying for all the things myself, I started just sharing the information with my neighbors,” he said. “This fire has really highlighted the inequities of what’s been happening in our community, and I’ve been trying to close that gap whenever I could.”

Jacque Robinson Baisley, a Pasadena resident and former vice mayor, also lost her home and was selected to ride the float because of her community involvement and advocacy following the fires. She sees the experience as a way to honor the shared resilience of those impacted.

“It’s bittersweet. Being in the Rose Parade is always an honor. I was able to ride in it when I was vice mayor, but this is something very different. I totally wish that I was never asked, that this fire never happened and that we didn’t have to have a float,” Baisley said. “But I’m honored to be able to represent the families of Altadena and especially those in West Altadena.” 

Philpart explained that the float was intentionally created to center the voices and experiences of survivors and to remind the public that recovery is a long process that requires continued attention and support.

“People need to know that they’re not alone, that there is support there, that people do care about their interests and their ability to return and dictate how recovery happens in the region,” Philpart said.

The Rising Together float will travel along the traditional Rose Parade route in Pasadena, including Colorado Boulevard and surrounding downtown streets, as part of the 137th Rose Parade.

“The fire isn’t behind us, and recovery is still going on. There’s still an immense need, and while the person next to you, who might be a survivor, might look well adjusted and happy, the truth is, there’s a lot of pain going on,” King said.