AHF once again took part in the Rose Parade® presented by Honda which took place Saturday, January 1, 2022. This year, the 133rd annual parade marks AHF’s tenth year participating in the beloved American New Year tradition seen by millions across the globe.
For the 2022 parade, AHF chose to highlight its year-and-a-half-old “Vaccinate Our World” or “VOW” advocacy campaign. AHF’s “VOW” campaign aims to encourage global leaders and pharmaceutical executives—particularly in Western and developed nations—and the pharmaceutical companies in those nations to share COVID-19 vaccines and related vaccine technology TODAY with resource-poor countries and people in those countries in desperate need—and want—of those lifesaving vaccine doses. Currently, only about 8.3% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine while 72% of doses have gone to or been administered in wealthy countries.
AHF’s “Vaccinate Our World” float design (envisioned and executed by Fiesta Parade Floats) featured a futuristic, space-aged design concept transporting paradegoers and viewers at home to a streamlined and more lighthearted future. The float showcased beautiful floral displays to raise awareness and encourage the global sharing of COVID-19 vaccines and technology with resource-poor countries around the world desperate for access to these lifesaving treatments.
Riding on AHF’s ‘Vaccinate Our World’ float were two physicians, each an AHF Board member: William Arroyo, M.D., Chair of AHF’s Board of Directors, and Condessa Curley, M.D., Board Secretary Together. They piloted a colorful, gently moving space capsule bringing vaccines and awareness to all in want or need with the help of an animatronic robot/nurse in a futuristic floral outer space setting.