July 4th, 2002.
Dear Assignment Editor,
Subject: Surrey Hydrangea Blossom Festival
The Surrey, White Rock Hydrangea Blossom Festival (Assoc.) is a Family oriented event to be held on Aug. 24th, 2002 in Cloverdale. This is a 1-day festival for the entire family to enjoy including a variety of events. Friday, Aug. 23rd at the Cloverdale Fair Grounds, is the pre-parade float decorating tours, contribution of flowers, and volunteers decorating. The main feature is on Saturday, Aug. 24th at 11 am, the 4th All-Floral Parade in Canada in the Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre. All day Saturday along the Fairgrounds and Amphitheatre will be many activities, arts and crafts, and entertainment.
The Surrey Hydrangea Blossom Festival director and visionary is Elaine Cramer. She is a White Rock resident and has been mentored over the past 20 yrs. by Bill Lofthouse. Bill Lofthouse, is the Director of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, California.
The all-floral Hydrangea Blossom parade is the first all floral parade in all of Canada and the third of its kind in North America. Floral parades in Pasadena, California and Portland, Oregon have over one hundred years of historical tradition. Both these cities offers Surrey its support and mentorship and will be overseeing this year's parade to ensure a continued success. Pasadena's Tournament of Roses draws a television audience of over 400 million and the Portland Rose Festival has a Grand Floral
Parade television audience of over 25 million. The growing potential for this parade to become a Canadian tradition is likely to follow that of its partnership with these two cities.
Other points of information:
1. The 5th Annual Hydrangea Festival, with Canada's only Floral Parade, August 24th, 2002 at 11:00am
2. The 2nd Annual Little Miss Hydrangea Blossom Festival Queen and Princesses. The contest will run on Saturday, August 17th, 2002 7 p.m. at the Cloverdale Recreation Centre 6220 - 184th Street, Surrey.
3. Inviting interested groups to take part in this festival and parade. Flowers will be shared with all parade entries needing them. Decorating with volunteers at the Cloverdale Fair Grounds Friday, August 23rd
4. Inspiring Greater Vancouver hydrangea shrub growers to contribute to the Floral Parade by donating their Hydrangea Flowers, to this unique celebration. All varieties of flowers and cut hedging, etc. are also being encouraged for donations. Drop off at the Cloverdale Fair Grounds Friday, August 23rd.
Please feel free to contact me at 597-3487 or e-mail at festivalpr@fraservalleybc.com if you have any further questions as to the festival events. You may access a full calendar of events and history of the Hydrangea Blossom Festival at www.fraservalleybc.com/hydrangeafestival. Thank you for your time and consideration for supporting this upcoming event.
Sincerely yours,
Julia M. Poole
Public Relations Liaison
Surrey Hydrangea Blossom Festival
