Capturing a major award

Green speaks from experience; in 1994 while he and his family were in Italy, his 7-year-old son Nicholas was shot and killed during a botched robbery. Green and his wife, Maggie, had to make that quick decision whether to donate his organs. Their choice led to a threefold increase in organ donation in Italy and raised awareness around the world.

Green said he was honored to be listed on the float with such pioneers in organ donation as Dr. Thomas Starzl, known as the “father of transplantation.”

He added that grappling with organ donation is usually a situation surrounded by grief and tragedy.

“Here [on the float] the message was being shown in sunshine and flowers,” he said. “Putting hope and inspiration in organ donation we see it not as something you are giving up but something someone else is going to get; that is why you have to think about it ahead of time.” He said he hoped the float would inspire families to talk about donating when they are calm, before a tragedy.

“In our case, we helped seven people, five who were close to death and two who were [going or were] blind,” he said. “And 14 years later, they are living normal lives.”

For information on submitting ideas for the 2010 float, visit www.lcftra.org or visit the Floatique now open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the float construction site at the rear of the Valley Water Company. Beep your car horn at the gate for admittance. “Mechanical Melodies,” will be on display in front of Memorial Park at 10 a.m. on Jan. 10.