Local woman part of the USFS float in the Rose Parade

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - When you turn on the television on New Year's Day to watch the 135th annual Rose Parade, you might just see a familiar face. Leona Allen will be walking with the U.S. Forest Service float celebrating Smokey Bear's 80th birthday.

Leona is a former Lake Tahoe Fire Academy instructor, current Lake Valley Fire Protection District Board Secretary, and is now on the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) fire patrol, when needed. One of her LTBMU supervisors put her name in for being a float participant, and she was selected.

She has been in Pasadena this week getting ready, helping to assemble the floral parts for Smokey's wagon as well as the mule trains. Leona will be with Sarah, one of the mules, as the parade makes its way along the route. They'll be walking behind Smokey, and Leona will be wearing full fire gear for the length of the parade.

All decorations on all parade entries have to be from plant material, and the USFS team will be using everything we see daily around Lake Tahoe - seeds, berries, pinecones, bark, shrubs, tree branches, and more.

"It’s incredible to see everything that goes into making the parade happen," said Leona who has also loved hearing the history of the Rose Parade.

Leona has been going through extensive safety training to make sure that those in the parade - humans and mules - are situationally aware and attentive.

"Naturally, everyone is a public information officer for an event like this, so we’re prepared to answer questions about Smokey’s 80th birthday, fire prevention, and the Forest Service," said Leona.

"I’m enjoying every minute," said Leona. "It’s great to see people from every rank and position in the Forest Service come together to make this happen."

The 135th annual Rose Parade starts at 8 a.m. Monday, January 1, 2024.