Yesterday I had the pleasure of volunteering to support an event to benefit the Local ALS Chapter, which works tirelessly to provide support to people with Lou Gehrig's Disease. If you are not familiar with ALS, its one of the bad ones to be diagnosed with, but fortunately there are great organizations like the Golden West Chapter.
Yesterday's event was a softball game at Angels stadium between former Angels and Dodgers, legends of baseball and celebrities of TV and film as well. My company, Natural Balance helped organize the event and was on site to help add some fun the day. Our tents were set up giving out free samples and some really cool reusable tote bags to everyone attending the game that day. Angel Stadium is a really great ball park. Its clean, well designed and has great seats too! Anyway, to add to the fun we brought along Tillman, the world famous skateboarding bulldog who arrived in his rock-star style tour bus. He hopped on his skateboard and did his stuff along the main entrance of Angel stadium to cheers and applause of the crowd.
posters asked people to watch the ALS benefit
There was a regularly scheduled Angels/Dodgers game at 5:00 pm, then the ALS benefit softball game followed immediately afterward. Last year's benefit was at Pepperdine University, which was a much smaller venue. This year it was great to be at an official MLB stadium with a huge crowd to watch.
soon it was time to go inside for the big game...
I helped put field banners up- It was awesome to be on the field
There were a lot of people who remained after the regular game to watch the ALS benefit softball game. During the game, team members and announcers asked people to TEXT 'FIGHTALS' to 25383 on their phones to donate $10. You can still do that if you want to help now. It will be much appreciated. Whether or not you personally know someone affected by ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease, the facts are staggering. According to their website, the mission of the Golden West Chapter is "To lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig's Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support". If you would like to make a donation to support ALS research and patients, donate online here.
Calling all Pet Lovers! If you love pets and you love the Wheel of Fortune TV game show, this is THE week for you to watch! The venerable game show theme starting today is 'Pet Lover's Week'. I'm especially thrilled because our very own Tillman, the world famous skateboarding, snowboarding, skimboarding and surfing bulldog is being featured on the show. It was such a thrill to see Tillman do his thing yet again on national television. People always get a kick out of him.
Natural Balance Pet Foods, (for whom I work)is featured on the show this week, participating in the fun and excitement of the show. Be sure to check your local listings for when Wheel of Fortune airs in your hometown. It will be loads of fun to watch, believe me! Tweet
Regular readers of this blog know that I work for Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods. We make what I believe are the finest quality foods and treats for dogs and cats. I'm excited about a new product line we just launched called 'Alpha'. I helped work on this, which is why I'm so psyched to see it now at petco stores. It is all-natural, completely grain-free line of food, with moderate protein levels using high multiple quality protein sources. Each formula includes prebiotics to maintain optimal digestion. In addition, we use garbanzo beans, which are an excellent source of protein, rich in fiber too.
So why am I writing a post on my personal blog about a product? Well because I am EXCITED ABOUT IT and also love working for a company that is genuinely interested in making all-natural pet foods that can help dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
If you didn't already know, we have a well-respected zoological division that makes specialized diets for large cats, carnivorous birds, reptiles and other animals. Our team of nutritionists work closely with zoos and reserves to keep animals healthy and well nourished. If we're trusted by zoos and reserves, imagine what our pet foods can do for your dog or cat! I'm continually impressed that our company has this zoological expertise on nutrition too. I don't know of any other pet food company that has that expertise.
So yes it is true that I am writing this post to help spread the word about our newest grain-free formulas; I'm also doing it because I helped work on this project and an excited to see it finally online at petco.com and in petco stores nationwide. If you have a chance, check it out and let me know what you think! Or better yet try a bag for your dog or cat. Click this banner below to read more:
Finally, dawn broke and the parade route started to light up
Once again I had the privilege of attending the Tournament of Roses Parade in beautiful Pasadena, California. This was the 122nd Annual Rose Parade, which is a really spectacular parade that showcases life in Southern California. My employer, Natural Balance Pet Foods had a float in the parade- our third year in a row in fact. Last year we made history with the World's Longest Parade Float. This year we broke another record with the World's Heaviest Float, but more on that later. Some people who attend the Rose Parade camp out along the route as much as 24 hours in advance to secure a prime spot. I was fortunate to have seats in the viewing stands from my company. I was also entertaining/hosting a number of customers with whom my company does business.
Parade organizers request attendees to be in their seats by 6:30 AM, mainly because of the sheer volume of people who turn up. We arrived by 6:00 AM- it was quite cold, 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) so it was rather chilly! We sat in the viewing stands, waiting for sunrise and observing the massive crowds settle into position along the route. I was seated at 90 S Orange Grove, which is the very beginning of the parade, just before it turn onto Colorado Boulevard.
I love the Rose Parade- the beautiful flowers that cover all the floats are a remarkable sight to see. I also love seeing marching bands and hearing their music too. When our float finally came into view, it was truly exciting. You see, working at Natural Balance is not just a regular job. We have FUN. We love animals and find ways to express that through our brand. Our Rose Parade float is a great example of that. Our float features the world famous Tillman and gang- who can all skateboard, snow board, and surf. This year they were skim boarding, while in another part of the float a group of Dock Diving Dogs were jumping into a heated pool and having a blast.
As the float approached, this is the front view!
Our co-founder actor Dick Van Patten once again rode on the float with his son Jimmy Van Patten. Together they cheered on Tillman, Rose, Lyle and Sully as parade viewers watched in amusement. Being a family company, the Van Pattens are involved and love being with the dogs on the float. The dock diving dogs wore body suits provided by Body Glove, who are experts in water sports gear. It was so much fun to see our float and to hear the audience's genuine appreciation and affection for these dogs.
This photo is from the LA Times of our Dock Diving Pool
Be sure to click on this photo below to biggify it!
Side view of our float. In the center is the massive pool, to the right is the skim boarding area!
Rear view of the Natural Balance float
The official certificate!
. As I mentioned earlier, our float was certified by the Guinness World Records as the Heaviest parade float in history. Weighing in at 84,300 pounds, all the water in the heated pool (not to mention the 14 dogs) made for a record-breaking float! It was made by Fiesta Parade Floats, the best float makers in the business!
If you were not able to see the Rose Parade, the clips below had coverage of the Natural Balance float. First ABC:
And here is the clip from KTLA- our float is right around the 4:00 minute mark:
And here are a few other floats I saw that caught my eye for some reason or other:
Look closely on top of the coach- POODLES!
This guy was doing some fancy rope tricks on his horse!
My favorite: The Ronald Reagan Foundation Float!
Kaiser Permanente (health insurance) had a neat float
Namco, the makers of Pac Man video game!
Cunard Cruise Line- this one is for Bee!
Rose Bowl team University of Wisconsin
Rose Bowl team TCU, Texas Christian University
US Bank, I just liked this one for some reason.
Warner Bros Float- you can see Sponge Bob!
Here are some of the goodies from this year's Rose Parade. My company made commemorative bags, pins, hats, mugs and t-shirts for our guests (see photos left). We also made blankets but I gave mine to someone in the stands.
The whole experience was a lot of fun, and I was so proud of my company's float. It felt great to see first hand how well the parade viewers responded with cheers of support and applause when the Natural Balance float glided by. Those dogs sure are a hit. I can't imagine how we will top this next year, but I'm sure we will find a way!
I spent a wonderful New Year's Eve in Pasadena at my company's pre-Rose Parade party. Our co-founder Dick Van Patten was on hand to thank everyone too. He rides on our float tomorrow with his son Jimmy. The party was for 200 people, including those involved in our amazing Natural Balance Rose Parade float, and our customers too. Most of the dogs who will be on the float were at the party, including Tillman, Rose, Sully, Lyle, all of whom will skim board on the float. Several of the Dock Diving dogs were also at the party too. I brought my own two dogs along for the fun. They had a blast, particularly during the concert, which was a Michael Jackson impersonator who was actually very good.
The Michael Jackson impersonator was a lot of fun.
Sully is an amazing skim boarding Bulldog!
Tillman, Rose and Sully at the hotel before the Rose Parade
Sheldon enjoying the concert and watching people dance.
Duncan celebrating on New Year's Eve
We were all excited that the officials from Guinness World Records certified the Natural Balance Rose Parade float as setting the record for the World's Heaviest parade float in history- amazingly at over 84,300 pounds! We love breaking records and having fun! Here is the official certificate presented to us. So all in all, it was an enjoyable New Year's Eve celebration. I hope you can catch the Rose Parade on New Year's Day and see for yourself how much fun we have at Natural Balance. If you watch the parade and see our float, Tweet about it on Twitter. Just include #PETCORose in the tweet so I can follow along and see it! Tweet
Most of you have no doubt heard of the Tournament of Roses Parade, more commonly known as The Rose Parade. For the past three years, my employer, Natural Balance Pet Foods has had a float in this granddaddy of American Parades. Dick Van Patten himself and his son Jimmy Van Patten, both ride on our float waving to the millions of people who watch the parade annually. Our float is known for having the amazingly talented, entertaining and world famous Tillman, the skateboarding bulldog. Along with Tillman are the other bulldogs Rose, Lyle and Sully all of whom will be skim boarding on the float. In addition, this year's float will also feature a group of Dock Diving Dogs who will be jumping into a pool while the Bulldogs do their thing on the lower level. With all the water in the float, we are seeking to break a new record for the World's Heaviest Parade Float. The officials from The Guinness Book of World Records will even be on site to inspect and certify our float!
We're now down to the last few days before this year's "Havin a Splash" parade float makes its debut to the world. Over 100 million people are expected to see the Rose Parade. The dogs have been in rehearsals for weeks and their trainers are confident, yet some level of fear is always lurking. Pictured at left is "Porter", having fun but hard at work learning the routine. I hope you can watch the Rose Parade on January 1st and cheer on our float from home.
I'd really appreciate your vote for us as your favorite Rose Parade Float. You cannot vote until after the parade ends on January 1st. It's easy to vote for "Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods Float" You can either text FLOAT39 to "50649" starting Jan. 1, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. PST or Vote online from the link below: http://www.tournamentofroses.com/the-rose-parade/vote/viewers-choice-award
Oh, by the way, we have an awesome SWEEPSTAKES going on- click here to learn more.
One of the really cool aspects of working at Natural Balance is the fun we have preparing for our awesome float in the Rose Parade. I mentioned yesterday that this year's float will set new records and be entertaining too. Our float has so much public interest, that once again a TV special was filmed and will air this weekend! "The Making of The World's Heaviest Float" shows the behind the scenes details of how we build the float, how the dogs train, and some of the drama behind it all. There are a few celebrity guests and sports legends who make appearances in the TV special. If you love dogs or sports, be sure to watch this show, or set your DVR to record it. Here are the air times on the stations I am aware of so far. If your city isn't listed below, try the WGN Superstation channel, you may be able to pick it up on their national feed, just check local listings.
KSWB/San Diego Sat 12/18 @ 430pm
KTLA/Los Angeles Sun 12/19 @ 5pm & Sun 12/26 @ 4 pm
WPIX/New York Sat 12/18 @ 6:30pm
WGN/Chicago Sat 12/18 @ 5pm
WSFL-TV/Miami Sat 12/18 @ 6:30pm
WDCW/Washington, DC Sun 12/19 @ 5pm
KZJO/Seattle Sun 12/19 @ 5pm
KRCW/Portland Sat 12/18 @ 5pm
WPHL-TV/Philadelphia Sat 12/18 @ 5pm
Tillman practices his skim boarding skills!
I wouldn't steer you wrong, this special is a lot of fun to watch, and its only a half hour so you can probably catch it before or after dinner. Wait til you see Tillman, Rose, Lyle, Sully and their Dock Diving Dog friends train, its a real treat. Hope you have a GREAT weekend! I'll be watching it with Sheldon and Duncan.
Regular readers of this blog know that I work for Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods. In addition to our expertise in pet nutrition, we also know how to have fun! For the past few years, we have had a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California on New Year's Day. Our float has been one of the most popular floats during the parade, thanks largely to Tillman and Rose, the world-famous skateboarding bulldogs (here is Rose above).
At last year's parade, the Guiness Book of World Records certified us as having the World's Longest Parade Float. This year, we have built what will be the World's Heaviest Parade Float, featuring Tillman, Rose and their other bulldog friends all skim boarding! They will also be joined by Dock Diving Dogs who will be jumping and swimming on the float at the same time.
In early November we had an open casting call to find some of the best dock diving and skim boarding dogs in America to join us on the float. This photo at left shows all the dogs who made it, plus Tillman, Rose, Lyle and Sully who were on the float last year.
click banner above to enter the sweepstakes and learn more
As part of all this fun, we partnered with PETCO on a special Sweepstakes to win really awesome prizes for the next few weeks. People can enter the sweepstakes online each week from PETCO.COM. The best part is with each entry per week, Natural Balance will donate a meal for a dog or cat to an animal shelter. In addition to this, if you are on Facebook, go to the PETCO page and the Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance fan page and click "Like" for each page. With every new "Like" those pages receive between now and January 1st, Natural Balance will also donate a meal for a dog or cat to a shelter! It's quick and easy to enter. All I ask is that you share this with your friends on facebook or Twitter. Let them know they can enter the sweepstakes, and help a shelter pet too. And mark your calendar to watch the Rose Parade on January 1st. Our float is going to be amazing and FUN!
Yesterday I had the pleasure of volunteering to support an event to benefit the Local ALS Chapter, which works tirelessly to provide support to people with Lou Gehrig's Disease. If you are not familiar with ALS, its one of the bad ones to be diagnosed with, but fortunately there are great organizations like the Golden West Chapter.
