Families of organ and tissue donors attended a special ceremony Monday afternoon in central Bakersfield.
Adventist Health partnered with OneLegacy for the Rose Parade Remembrance Ceremony to honor the lives of those who have given the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.
Families of individuals who had donated organs and tissue were given a rose vial to write a special note inside. The flowers will be used to decorate the Donate Life Rose Parade Float in January, which will be themed 'The Gift of Time.'
Ceremony organizers said the event wasn't meant to bring closure, but was about honoring and remembering organ and tissue donors and their families.
Organizers said that becoming a donor is simple, and that little pink dot on your driver's license can have a major impact on dozens of people in need.