HOUSTON, Dec. 14, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI), North America’s largest provider of funeral and cemetery services, and its brand, Dignity Memorial®, are pleased to announce their tenth year as a major sponsor of the Donate Life float that will appear in the 129th Rose Parade® on Jan. 1, 2018 in Pasadena, Ca.
For the past 10 years, SCI has participated in Donate Life’s annual tribute to organ, eye and tissue donors, and has helped many client families honor their loved ones with a portrait featured on the Donate Life float. Underscoring the importance of organ donation, these portraits, called “floragraphs,” are made of flowers, seeds, beans and other natural materials. Living donors and recipients also bring the float to life by riding or walking beside it during the Rose Parade.
“The Donate Life Rose Parade float helps raise awareness of the important cause of organ donation and helps our client families celebrate the lives of their loved ones while healing during a time of loss,” said Phil Jacobs, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at SCI. “We are passionate about the cause and for the past 10 years it’s been our honor to support Donate Life’s mission of increasing the number of organ donors around the country to help save lives.”
In preparation for the Rose Parade, Dignity Memorial locations across the country hosted floragraph finishing events in the weeks leading up to the parade.
- Dignity Memorial Providers of Houston, Texas and LifeGift honored donor Anna Klein, age 24.
- Dignity Memorial Providers of New Jersey honored donor Luke Bautista, age 15.
- Dignity Memorial Providers of Seattle, Washington and LifeCenter Northwest honored donor Parker Lang, age 18.
- Dignity Memorial Providers of Las Vegas, Nevada honored donor Logan Leone, age 2.
At the events, family and friends paid tribute to their loved ones, who had made organ, eye and tissue donations, by putting the finishing touches on their floragraph portraits.
Additionally, as a part of Donate Life’s celebration of its 15th annual Rose Parade float, Dignity Memorial is sponsoring the new “Making a Difference Rose Dedication Program,” which presents honorary silk roses to recognize and give thanks to organ procurement organizations, transplant centers, eye banks and tissue banks across the United States who share the mission of saving and healing lives through organ, tissue and cornea donations. These Honorary Making a Difference roses will be placed on the Donate Life float before the Rose Parade on Dec. 29, 2017 by Dignity Memorial representatives, the CEO and president of the American Association of Tissue Banks, the CEO and president of the Eye Bank Association of America, the program manager of NATCO, The Organization for Transplant Professionals, the CEO and president of LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma, the past president of the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation, and the CEO of OneLegacy and chairman of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float.
“We are excited to expand our sponsorship with Donate Life to recognize organ procurement organizations across the country making a difference in their communities,” said Jacobs. “The Rose Parade and the National Rose Dedication Program are ideal backdrops to share the message of hope made possible by organ donation among the transplant community, donors, recipients and families who have lost loved ones.”
About Service Corporation International
Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is North America’s leading provider of death care products and services. At September 30, 2017, it owned and operated 1,509 funeral homes and 476 cemeteries (of which 287 are combination locations) in 45 states, eight Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Through its businesses, SCI markets the Dignity Memorial® brand which offers assurance of quality, value, caring service and exceptional customer satisfaction. In January 2016, SCI was presented with the J.D. Power President’s Award in recognition of an ongoing dedication to service excellence including quality improvement, customer satisfaction and the development of enduring client relationships. For more information about Service Corporation International, please visit www.sci-corp.com. For more information about Dignity Memorial, please visit www.dignitymemorial.com. As used herein, “SCI” or the “Company” refers to Service Corporation International and all of its affiliated companies.
Media Contact:
Jay Andrew, 713-525-5235
Director, Corporate Communications