Two Maine firefighters have been invited to the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day.
Firefighters Patty Comier and Steve Bunker were given an all-expenses-paid trip to the Pasedena, CA, event thanks to Maine Odd Fellows and its Daughters of Rebekah branch, WCSH-TV reports. While Bunker and Odd Fellows member Michele Trynor will be watching the parade from a reserved grandstand, Comier will be on the national Odd Fellows' float, which has the theme of "First Responders Bring Hope."
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"It's a real honor to represent such a great group of firefighters," Cormier told WCSH. "We wish they could all be there with us."
On Sept. 16, Capt. Michael Bell, 68, was killed and six other firefighters were injured in a building explosion caused by a propane leak. That tragedy and the effect it has had on the department and the community is what motivated Trynor to have Farmington firefighters represented on the Odd Fellows float and at the parade.
"Out of our tragedy, there have been so many blessings, so much caring and good will has poured in," Bunker told WCSH. "The generosity of the Odd Fellows and Rebekah’s organization is a real morale booster to our department.
131st Tournament of Roses Parade
- When: 11 a.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 1. Broadcast begins at 11:30 a.m.
- Network: NBC
- Where's the float? The national Odd Fellows float with Farmington firefighter Patty Comier is the 64th unit in line.
