LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Southern California-based Wescom Credit Union will cap a year-long celebration of its 85th anniversary with its first-ever float in the Rose Parade® presented by Honda on January 1, 2020. Wescom’s float theme – “Better Together: Hope Creates Community” – was inspired by its long-standing history of giving back to the communities it serves through its #WescomKindness events, as well as the 2020 Rose Parade theme “The Power of Hope.” Atop the float resides a raccoon character with a mobile phone. In the spirit of fostering community, Wescom is donating $1 to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital® (CMNH), for each tweet the raccoon receives at @_wescom using #buildingbetterlives on parade day (up to $10,000).
“Wescom was founded in Pasadena in 1934, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our milestone 85th anniversary and long-standing partnership as the Official Banking Partner of Pasadena’s Rose Bowl® Stadium than with a Rose Parade float,” stated Tamar Atamian, Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “Our float honors and celebrates those who bring hope to others by creating and fostering community. This is one of the principles under which Wescom was founded. We are humbled to be a part of this iconic Southern California event and want to inspire people locally – and around the world – with a message of hope to begin the New Year.”
Wescom’s inaugural float colorfully depicts a community of Southern Californians represented by real people -- as well as animals created from flowers – coming together to help a young family move into and fix up their new home (in a tree). The float features:
- Wescom’s 1934 truck and the treehouse address “85 Wescom Way” to celebrate Wescom’s founding year and 85th anniversary
- An orange tree, palm tree, and strawberry pie – paying homage to the agricultural richness of Southern California.
Riding on the Wescom float will be:
- Julia Isaacs, CHLA Patient and Junior Ambassador, and her mom, Leah Isaacs
- Denver Rivera, Wescom member of the Thousand Oaks Branch
- Rakeshia Morgan, Wescom member of the Ontario Branch
- Kathie Chism, Wescom employee
- Jennifer Shipman, WeCare contributor and Wescom employee
- Noel Ross, Wescom Board of Directors Chairman
- Darren Williams, Wescom President and CEO
Wescom’s story goes back to 1934 when 13 Southern California telephone employees pooled their money to help their fellow employees obtain hard-to-get loans. Today, as a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative, Wescom has 24 branches in communities throughout Southern California to serve their nearly 200,000 members. Wescom’s deep commitment to its community is upheld through volunteerism and nonprofit giving through its employee-run and -funded foundation, WeCare, to which Wescom matches funds raised dollar for dollar.
“For 85 years, Wescom has worked to improve the lives of Southern Californians by bringing people together to help one another as individuals, and by making the community a better place to live,” added Atamian. “We will continue to be an integral part of the community for generations to come because we believe that together we can do great things.”
To learn more about Wescom, visit WescomTogether.com.
About Wescom Credit Union
Since 1934, Wescom Credit Union has been dedicated to helping people throughout Southern California build better lives. Headquartered in Pasadena, Calif., Wescom has 24 branches providing essential banking solutions to nearly 200,000 members. Benefits include lower loan rates, higher savings yields, reduced fees, and a robust network of branches and ATMs. #WescomKindness is an extension of Wescom Credit Union’s 85-year tradition of serving its community through such programs as WeCare, Wescom’s employee-run not-for-profit foundation. For more information, please visit wescom.org or WescomTogether.com.
About the Pasadena Tournament of Roses®
The Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that hosts America’s New Year Celebration® with the Rose Parade presented by Honda, the Rose Bowl Game® presented by Northwestern Mutual and a variety of accompanying events. 935 volunteer members of the association will drive the success of 131st Rose Parade theme “The Power of Hope,” on Wednesday, January 1, 2020, followed by the 106th Rose Bowl Game. For more information, visit www.TournamentofRoses.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.