Donate Life and DMV Honor Team Member’s Late Sister at 2023 Rose Parade

Contact: Office of Public Affairs
2415 First Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 657–6437 | dmvpublicaffairs@dmv.ca.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 6, 2022

Sacramento – The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and Donate Life California will honor DMV team member Jackie Medina’s late sister, Cindy Zecena, a cornea (eye) donor, by featuring her via a floragraph on its 2023 Donate Life Rose Parade Float, Lifting Each Other Up.

“This year we are privileged to honor our team member’s sister who gave the gift of sight to someone in need. This remarkable gift highlights the importance of lifesaving and life changing organ, eye and tissue donations,” stated DMV Chief Deputy Director Cris Rojas.

Zecena, a dedicated mother, daughter and sister will be honored through a floral portrait, known as a floragraph, made by her family from organic materials such as seeds. Her floragraph will adorn this year’s float at the 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade.

“My sister was supportive, reliable and extremely generous. She was always lending a helping hand to those in need,” shared Medina, who resides in Anaheim. “Knowing she was able to grant a person the ability to see is just so fitting with Cindy’s giving personality and it makes me proud to be her little sister.”

The 2023 Donate Life Rose Parade float celebrates the power of organ, eye and tissue donation, with donors and recipients working together to support one another. The float depicts a spectacular Chinese street dragon, which in the Chinese culture symbolizes great power, good luck and strength. The colorful dragon winds through flowering trees, lanterns and fans, and is emblazoned with 44 memorial floragraphs, representing those who have given the gift of life.

The dragon will be supported on poles by living donors, and surrounded by organ, eye and tissue recipients whose lives have been changed thanks to those who said “YES” to organ, eye and tissue donation. A traditional paifang bridge is featured in the back of the float, with a special message in mandarin that highlights the power of the Gift of Life.

“This is our 20^th year participating in the Tournament of Roses Parade and 15^th year honoring a member of the DMV family or loved one on our float,” shared Jim Martin, CEO of Donate Life California. “Thanks to the DMV and its team members like Jackie, Californian’s can conveniently register as tissue, eye and organ donors online or when visiting an DMV office.”

The DMV is proud to help save lives alongside Donate Life California. Since 2006, more than 18.4 million Californians have registered to become organ, eye and tissue donors, 95 percent of whom checked “YES” at a DMV field office. On average, 150 people are added to the nation’s organ transplant waiting list each day – one every 10 minutes. To learn more about how organ donors save lives, check Donate Life California’s FAQs on organ donation.

Currently, there are more than 100,000 men, women, and children in the United States waiting for lifesaving organs and 20 percent – more than 20,000 – are based in California. To register to become an organ, eye and tissue donor visit donatelife.net/register/.

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