Five cancer survivors who have ridden on City of Hope’s Rose Parade float in years past shared what the experience meant to them in a short video that aired on Jan. 1 during a two-hour television special that substituted for the parade, canceled because of COVID-19.
They were accompanied by San Marino’s Dr. Stephen Forman, a City of Hope hematologist-oncologist who has ridden or walked alongside City of Hope’s float for five years.
“In previous years when I participated in the Rose Parade, I was always struck by the large numbers of people along every block who recognize us, having themselves been touched by the care and research City of Hope does to help them or someone they know or love,” said Forman.
“Many people recognize our float and yell words of encouragement or, in many cases, expressed profound heartfelt expressions of gratitude for City of Hope. Sometimes, without words, you could see the emotion in their faces in a quiet, thoughtful and sometimes tearful way. Our connection to those people has less to do with the gorgeous design of our float’s floral display and more to do with how City of Hope is a special place of care.”
City of Hope was featured in one of the nine segments made up the two-hour special, which aired from 8-10 a.m. on New Year’s Day — the time slot typically occupied by the Rose Parade. City of Hope has participated in the Rose Parade for 48 years.
Forman is an international expert in leukemia, lymphoma and bone marrow transplantation. He is also co-editor of “Thomas’ Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation,” a definitive textbook for clinicians, scientists and health-care professionals. His current projects are focused on immunotherapy — using the body’s own immune system to attack cancer.
Dr. Stephen Forman of San Marino has ridden on or walked alongside the City of Hope’s Rose Parade float for five years.
