CL couple dedicates 30 years to preparing floats for Rose Parade

BY Pat Van Dyke

For over 30 years, Canyon Lakers Lynn and Dick Gast have had a front seat to witness the creation of dozens of Tournament of Roses (Rose Parade) floats. The Gasts are deeply involved in a ministry in which they entered through a side door “just to take a peek.”

In 1985, the Gast family moved from frosty Wisconsin to sunny Southern California. For years they had watched the Rose Parade on television, so they decided to have the entire experience starting with a stop to view the Lutheran Hour Ministries Float while it was still being decorated.

With the address of the float barn in their hands and their three children in tow, they traveled to the designated building. Not knowing which of the many doors provided access and not realizing that it was a high-security area, they entered through an open side door. Instead of being told to leave, they were asked to help and soon found themselves thumbs deep in glue and rose petals. “It was then we fell in love with the float and Petal Pushers,” said Dick.

Petal Pushers is an organization of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Float Committee that recruits individuals to voluntarily work on 10 of the Rose Parade floats which are created and built by Phoenix Decorating Company.

For the next three years, the Gasts could be found next to other Petal Pushers working long hours that were filled with exciting expectations of the finished product.

In 1989, the Gasts were delightfully surprised when they were asked to serve on the board for the Lutheran Hour Ministries Float. They were excited and proud to have the opportunity to share their leadership and business skills in this unique outreach ministry of the Lutheran Laymen’s League.

For several years, Lynn and Dick worked as co-chairmen of the Petal Pushers which included duties of recruiting and managing volunteers during the 14 shifts. However, 5 years later, Dick was asked to take the position of general chairman while Lynn continued to be Petal Pusher chairman. To this day, these assignments are still held by the Gasts.

As general chairman, Dick has total responsibility for the Lutheran Hour Ministries float’s design, fundraising, public relations, managing volunteer committees and managing merchandise purchasing and sales. Lynn’s duties include public relations, recruitment and assignment of volunteers.

Not only are Lynn and Dick deeply involved in Petal Pushers, but also when each of their three daughters reached the age of 13, they could be found as part of the team. At the age of 16, each daughter held the role of crew chief which taught them how to be a leader with a servant’s attitude. All three have continued in service to others in their adult life.

Lynn and Dick report that each year is just as exciting as the last concerning working with the floats for the Rose Parade. Petal Pushers are not limited to decorating only the Lutheran Hour Ministries Float, they also volunteer to decorate several additional floats with which they share the Phoenix Decorating Company’s float barn.

This year, Petal Pushers are also assigned to the following floats: Opening and Closing Floats, City of Hope, City of Alhambra, The SCAN Foundation, Wells Fargo, Mrs. Myers Clean Day, The Cowboy Channel, Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, and the flower tent. To accomplish this task, it will require approximately 5,000 volunteer shifts.

Lynn lights up when she is asked what the most stimulating moment is for her while working on the floats. She reports that by far it is when the floats are pulled out of the barn and begin their trip to the formation area. Participants in the float building and decorating process line the parking lot and cheer as each float makes its way to the street. They celebrate a task well-done.

Each year, the Gasts begin their New Year’s Day activities by meeting the float riders in the hotel lobby at 5:15 a.m. They then travel to the formation area to check-in at 6 a.m. For the next few hours, they celebrate as they watch the fruits of their labor delight both the local and television audiences.

Former KTLA Rose Parade Co-Host Stephanie Edwards shares her thoughts regarding the Gasts:

“Lynn and Dick Gast are true Rose Parade workhorses of the best kind. They’ve loved this parade for over 30 years with devoted, hard, cold-barn, sore-fingered, exhausted devotion that only another devotee understands. The Lutheran Hour Ministries Float Committee speaks of their dedication to faith, family and fun. I’m truly thankful for what my friends, the Gasts, bring to this event. They’re a huge part of the reason this celebration is loved by millions of viewers around the world.”

Planning and preparations for the next Rose Parade come quickly. On Jan. 15, the president of the Tournament of Roses shares his theme for the next Rose Parade and Dick and his team swing into action planning for possible float theme concepts.

No matter what the theme will be or how it will be used on the many beautiful floats that will travel down Colorado Boulevard, Dick and Lynn related how first on their thoughts is the fact that “It is an honor to put a Christian message in this worldwide watched secular event.”

The Lutheran Hour Ministries Float is a self-funded project of the Southern California Lutheran Laymen’s League. More Petal Pushers are always needed. You do not have to be a member of the Lutheran church to participate in the decorating of a float.

The decorating of the floats begins on Thursday, Dec. 26. No experience is needed and Community service hours are available. To register, visit
petalpushers.org or contact Lynn Gast at 949-458-0606.