Donor Hero Ricardo “Ricky” Hurwitz To Be Honored On 2023 Donate Life Rose Parade® Float

Legacy Donor Services Foundation(LDSF) Sponsors South Florida Donor Hero on National Stage During 134th Rose Parade®

PASADENA, Calif. January 2, 2023 – As the nation celebrates the 134th Rose Parade®, a South Florida family will see their loved one’s legacy honored before millions of viewers worldwide. Ricardo “Ricky” Hurwitz, an organ, eye and tissue donor whose selfless gift saved and healed dozens of lives, will be featured on the 2023 Donate Life Rose Parade® float on January 2, 2023.

Legacy Donor Services Foundation sponsored Ricky’s floragraph on the nationally recognized Donate Life float, marking the organization’s fourth year supporting this powerful campaign that highlights the life-saving impact of organ, eye and tissue donation.

Ricky was just 18 years old when he tragically passed away in July 2018 following a car accident, only a month and a half after graduating from high school. He had recently enrolled in college with plans to pursue a career in nursing. Despite their devastating loss, Ricky’s family honored his decision to become a donor, allowing his legacy to live on through the lives he saved and healed.

Through organ donation, Ricky donated seven organs that saved the lives of five individuals ranging in age from 16 to 69. His tissue and cornea donations went on to improve the lives of 22 additional recipients, demonstrating the extraordinary impact one donor can have on countless families.

“By sharing Ricky’s story and the stories of others touched by donation, we hope to inspire more people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors,” said Patricia Darrigan, Senior Director, Professional Development and Communications, LDSF. “Every donor has the power to save and heal lives, and Ricky’s legacy is a powerful reminder of the hope that donation brings to so many families.”

The 2023 Rose Parade® theme, “Turning the Corner,” celebrates new beginnings, hope and joy. For the donation and transplantation community, the theme reflects the journey experienced by donor families, recipients and living donors whose lives have been forever changed through the gift of life.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in the Rose Parade®, the 2023 Donate Life float, “Lifting Each Other Up,” showcases the power of organ, eye and tissue donation through a vibrant Asian street dragon centerpiece. In Asian cultures, dragons symbolize strength, prosperity, good fortune and abundance. The magnificent dragon features 39 memorial floragraphs honoring donor heroes like Ricky.

The dragon is supported by living donors and surrounded by transplant recipients whose lives have been transformed by the generosity of donors and their families. Together, they represent the enduring connection between donors and recipients and the profound impact of saying “yes” to donation.

Produced by OneLegacy, the Donate Life Rose Parade® float is made possible through the support of donation, transplant, healthcare and family care organizations across the country. As one of the world’s most visible public awareness campaigns for organ, eye and tissue donation, the float inspires millions of viewers each year and highlights the more than 100,000 people in the United States currently awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant.