Another Big Win for FTD at the 2008 Tournament of Rose Parade
FTD Awarded Tournament Special Trophy for Its “Magic of Mardi Gras” Float
 

DOWNERS GROVE, IL. – January 10, 2008 –  Florists’ Transworld Delivery, Inc. (FTD), a leading provider of floral products and services, celebrated its 55th year in the Rose Parade® by winning the Tournament Special Trophy award for its “Magic of Mardi Gras” float entry. Honoring the residents of New Orleans, FTD chose to celebrate the spirit and tradition of the city with a Mardi Gras-themed float. In addition, the 2008 FTD float riders were all Hurricane Katrina survivors and residents of the newly-constructed New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village, a neighborhood being built in the hurricane-destroyed Upper Ninth Ward.

“We are very excited to be a part of this historic event every year, as more than 60 million people in 150 countries around the world watch the parade and see the FTD brand,” said Michael Soenen, Chairman of FTD, Inc. “Winning such a tremendous award again this year is truly a remarkable achievement, and a success that I am excited to share with all FTD Florists.”

The FTD float entry, which was unveiled on January 1, 2008 in the 119th Rose Parade (Theme: Passport to the World’s Celebration), projected the merriment and brilliance of Mardi Gras that has been celebrated for more than 300 years in New Orleans. The award-winning float featured more than 100,000 roses, and captured the glittering style and carefree folly of costumes, music and dance that is Mardi Gras.

In addition, to honor the float riders, FTD helped to spread the message of this unique community at www.FTD.COM/NewOrleans, where 10% of each product purchased was donated to the New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village project, which includes the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. (www.NOLAmusiciansvillage.org)
 

About FTD Group, Inc.
FTD Group, Inc. is a leading provider of floral related products and services to consumers and retail florists, as well as other retail locations offering floral products, in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. The business utilizes the highly recognized FTD and Interflora brands, both supported by the Mercury Man logo, which is displayed in approximately 45,000 floral shops worldwide. The consumer businesses operate primarily through the www.ftd.com Web site in the U.S. and Canada and the www.interflora.co.uk Web site in the U.K. and are complemented by the florist businesses which provide products and services to the Company’s independent members.

About New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village
Musicians’ Village, a cornerstone of the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH) post-Katrina rebuilding effort, is designed to both construct a community and preserve a culture. Conceived by New Orleans natives Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis, Musicians’ Village will provide a home for both the artists who have defined the city’s culture and the sounds that have shaped the musical vernacular of the world. Musicians’ Village is being constructed in the Upper Ninth Ward, where an eight-acre parcel of land was initially selected for the construction of 72 single-family homes built by volunteers, donors, sponsors and low-income families. As of September 2007, all 72 homes have either been completed or are under construction. In one of the project’s innovative features, Musicians’ Village will also provide elder-friendly duplexes for the senior members of the community.

Another important innovation in the Musicians’ Village effort is the inclusion of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, named in honor of the New Orleans native and legendary jazz pianist, educator and patriarch of the Marsalis clan. Focusing on the ethnically and culturally diverse musical heritage of the city, the Center will include a 150-seat performance space with state-of-the-art lighting and sound. (www.NOLAmusiciansvillage.org)

 

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