Los Angeles Area Hospital Finds Benefit in Event with Worldwide Exposure
by Mark S. Gothberg
Why would the City of Hope, a Los Angeles area research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases, participate in the 125th Rose Parade on New Year’s Day? For pretty much the same reasons it has been involved in this world-famous parade, held in Pasadena, CA, for the past 41 years.
“This is an opportunity to showcase the organization to a national and international audience,” says Fran Rizzi, senior director of communications at City of Hope. “We get about one-and-a-half minutes of prime exposure to some 90 million people.”
The parade is broadcast in 200 countries. An estimated 700,000 people attended the parade in-person this year. Local television stations also ran nearly a dozen stories on the organization’s unique and meaningful parade float.
Broad exposure is important because the organization draws patients as well as donors and various industry support groups from well beyond Southern California. “Exposure outside the United States is particularly important to generate awareness and support for our research and discovery activities,” stresses Rizzi.