2 from Merced County to ride in Rose Parade
Two young women will represent Merced County in this year’s Rose Parade in Pasadena by riding on the California Milk Advisory Board’s float.
Karleen Lopez, a 17-year-old from Los Banos, and Katie Migliazzo, a college student from Atwater, were selected as winners of a contest to ride on the float. Lopez and Migliazzo are two of five young dairy leaders statewide chosen to ride on the advisory board’s float.
The 127th Rose Parade will be televised live on Friday, New Year’s Day, and is themed “Find Your Adventure.” The California Milk Advisory Board’s float will feature a flowing river of milk; a grilled cheese sandwich; a baked potato topped with butter and sour cream; and a pizza pie paddle board oozing with cheese, among other sights.
I think it’s important for people to know where their food comes from and how it’s grown and produced.
Karleen Lopez
senior at Los Banos High“As an industry that brings an abundance of healthy products to the world and makes a significant economic contribution to the state, it is important that our Real California Milk float recognizes the next generation of dairy leadership that will continue the tradition of bringing real food to real families everywhere,” said John Talbot, the CEO of the advisory board, in a statement.
Lopez was chosen to ride the float after participating in a video contest, where her video explained the benefits of dairy products and the reach of California’s dairy industry. A Los Banos High senior, Lopez will be the youngest chosen to ride on the float.
“I grew up watching the Rose Parade all my life,” she said. “This year, people will be watching me. It’s a plot twist.”
Lopez is a member of Future Farmers of America and the California Junior Holstein Association. She has her own dairy heifer and experience in showing cattle and judging dairy products. She plans to study agriculture journalism in college, and her ultimate goal is to work for the United States Department of Agriculture.
(The) float will show how our dairy products start with dairy families and that we’re all working together to essentially feed the world.
Katie Migliazzo
student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo“I think it’s important for people to know where their food comes from and how it’s grown and produced,” Lopez said. “I think there’s a lot of misconceptions out there about how food is produced. It doesn’t just come from the grocery store.”
Migliazzo, 21, attends California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is majoring in dairy science. A third-generation dairy farmer, Migliazzo also is a former dairy princess who showed cattle at an early age through 4-H and FFA.
“My passion for dairy started out as a love for the cow and turned into a love for the industry and the people,” Migliazzo said. “Being a part of the California Milk Advisory Board float will show how our dairy products start with dairy families and that we’re all working together to essentially feed the world.”
Both Lopez and Migliazzo arrived in Pasadena on Wednesday to participate in Rose Parade activities and for parade planning.
On television
Tune in to ABC, NBC or Univision on Friday morning beginning at 8. The California Milk Association Board’s float is expected to appear between 9:30 and 10 a.m.
This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 3:13 PM with the headline "2 from Merced County to ride in Rose Parade."