Each year at the annual Rose Bowl Parade, JJ’s Legacy honors a deceased donor from our community who has given the gift of life.
Celebrating its 21st year in the Rose Parade, the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade float celebrates the rich culture of the Hopi tribe, native to the American Southwest, known for outstanding pottery, paintings, weaving and carvings. This group of Pueblo Native Americans is one of the oldest cultures in the United States, originating approximately 7,000 years ago. Serving 10 transplant centers and more than 200 hospitals, OneLegacy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven counties in Southern California: a diverse population of 20 million donors, families and waiting recipients across the region and country. At the forefront of the float is a beautiful Butterfly dancer wearing a symbolic headdress, representing the Hopi Butterfly Dance—a ceremony honoring butterfly pollination and abundant crop harvests. Scattered among a lively cactus scene lie woven baskets adorned with memorial floragraphs of deceased donors embedded into the intricate design, signifying those who gave the gift of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Organ, eye and tissue recipients ride the float, while living donors walk beside it. Hopi dancers surround the float, inviting abundance, hope and prosperity. This impressive Native American scene is completed with prickly pear plants, stalks of corn and fluttering butterflies. Similar to the 2024 Tournament of Roses theme, “Celebrating a World of Music,” organ donation transcends cultural boundaries, uniting people worldwide through the gift of life and the transformative impact of organ donation, bridging cultures and bringing communities together. Becoming an eye, organ or tissue donor is easy and can be done by registering online at donateLIFEcalifornia.org/jjslegacy or by check marking “YES” at your local DMV.
2024 Honoree
Sadi’jae Najera
JJ's Legacy will honor Sadi’jae Najera with a floragraph on this year’s OneLegacy Rose Bowl Parade float.
Sadi’jae Najera was born in Bakersfield, CA, on November 3, 2003. Her unique personality and compassionate nature were evident early in her relationships with her parents and siblings. Her favorite pastimes included singing, dancing, and making TikTok videos. Sadi’jae dreamed of being a veterinarian and a mother. She relished babysitting and was an amazing godmother to her nephew. Sadi’jae’s family was changed forever when she was struck by a car. After 5 hours of surgery, there were no signs of brain activity, and she passed away. Her parents were invited into JJ’s Legacy Comfort Room to discuss Sadi’jae’s donor options with OneLegacy. Her compassionate nature guided their decision, and Sadi’jae was able to save five lives. One of her kidney recipients, Raul Gonzales, is a member of their church and now has become an honorary member of her family. Her floragraph on the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade float is our way of paying tribute to her and her life-saving gift.
Past Floragraph Honorees