Greetings from Buffalo!
Unyts Blog | Amy Nash
I planned to have this blog begin, “Greetings from Pasadena!†but throughout our Rose Parade journey our days, brains, and hearts were filled to overflowing so that I could not properly express myself. To say our California vacation was once-in-a-lifetime is an understatement. My husband, Jerry, son, Nicholas, and I could return another year and see 50 glorious flower-covered floats, but the privilege of riding in that parade will never happen again.
First the logistics of building this year’s “Journeys of the Heart†Donate Life float. It was 55’ long, 30’ high with 30,000 flowers and 32 ridersâ€"by far the largest riding contingency in the 2013 parade. It had more than 40 individual floral items from poppy seeds to thousands of traditional “pink†roses which Jerry & I helped separate into five distinct shades of pink. Over 18,000 of the flowers on our float were in individual water vials. All others were glued on the float one-by-one. Nicholas hauled pallets and pallets of flowersâ€"gerbera daisies, roses, irises, and show-stopping, heart-shaped anthuriumsâ€"and meticulously apply black seaweed to the DONATE LIFE sign. I couldn’t have been prouder of him. We worked one of the eight-hour decorating shifts in a huge pavilion which housed 11 of the parade floats and were immersed in natural beauty. Two of the roses in the 8’ heart on the front of the float were specifically dedicated to my donors, Maureen Wirth and Joseph Albers. Over a thousand other rosesâ€"more than a heartfulâ€"carried personal dedications to loved ones.
First the logistics of building this year’s “Journeys of the Heart†Donate Life float. It was 55’ long, 30’ high with 30,000 flowers and 32 ridersâ€"by far the largest riding contingency in the 2013 parade. It had more than 40 individual floral items from poppy seeds to thousands of traditional “pink†roses which Jerry & I helped separate into five distinct shades of pink. Over 18,000 of the flowers on our float were in individual water vials. All others were glued on the float one-by-one. Nicholas hauled pallets and pallets of flowersâ€"gerbera daisies, roses, irises, and show-stopping, heart-shaped anthuriumsâ€"and meticulously apply black seaweed to the DONATE LIFE sign. I couldn’t have been prouder of him. We worked one of the eight-hour decorating shifts in a huge pavilion which housed 11 of the parade floats and were immersed in natural beauty. Two of the roses in the 8’ heart on the front of the float were specifically dedicated to my donors, Maureen Wirth and Joseph Albers. Over a thousand other rosesâ€"more than a heartfulâ€"carried personal dedications to loved ones.
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Blog post by Amy Nash. Amy is a double kidney recipient, diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease during her senior year at The University at Buffalo. She received her first transplant at age 23 from a 20 year old organ donor killed in a car accident. Years later, Amy was once again placed on the transplant list after her renal function fell below 20%. This time, an old childhood friend was a match.
Amy has been invited to Washington, D.C., to speak with Congressional staffers in an effort to ensure passage of the 2008 Medicare Health Act. Amy speaks to groups all over WNY, about the importance of organ donation.
Blog post by Amy Nash. Amy is a double kidney recipient, diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease during her senior year at The University at Buffalo. She received her first transplant at age 23 from a 20 year old organ donor killed in a car accident. Years later, Amy was once again placed on the transplant list after her renal function fell below 20%. This time, an old childhood friend was a match.
Amy has been invited to Washington, D.C., to speak with Congressional staffers in an effort to ensure passage of the 2008 Medicare Health Act. Amy speaks to groups all over WNY, about the importance of organ donation.
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