Miss Moorpark queen to ride on Rose Parade float
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

For one month a year, Claire Volk surrounds herself in roses.

It's no leisurely stroll on the beach.

Volk, who won the 2007 Miss Moorpark competition in March, has been working with Fiesta Parade Floats to build a float with the theme of "The Magic of Mardi Gras" for the upcoming Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1.

Volk remembers when she was 8, and her mom brought her to the first of many parades down the streets of Pasadena.

"I just love going every year and freezing my butt off," said Volk, now 19.

This time, Volk will actually ride on the float, right in the middle. Miss Moorpark will be at the top of the float, and will give instructions to the driver below about when to stop, start, turn or slow down. Not only is she part of the driving team, but the Moorpark College student must wear what she called a "huge Mardi Gras outfit that's sparkly and glittery."

"It's a little embarrassing," she said about the costume.

The seasonal job begins Dec. 1. From Dec. 26 to New Year's Day, workers operate in 24-hour or 48-hour shifts to prepare the floats.

Volk must keep track of all the delivered flowers. She and three colleagues have to count, sort and cut the flowers to the proper size for storage in water.

"It's really a neat thing to see," said David Pardo, Volk's father. "They have rooms of thousands of different kinds of flowers from all over the world . . . and she's in charge of mak

ing sure all of those are in order to put on the float. It's beautiful and it smells really good."

By the time her work is done, Volk will be too tired to watch the parade.

"Everyone's so wiped out, they just sleep," she said. "So we just record the parade and catch it the next day."

Fiesta Parade Floats is preparing 12 floats for this year's Rose Parade after building 11 last year. The company has won 274 awards in the parade with 23 Sweepstakes trophies, including the last 14 in a row. FTD, or Florists Transworld Delivery, is sponsoring the Mardi Gras float. An FTD float won last year's Sweepstakes award.

Volk won the Miss Moorpark competition at the Moorpark High School Performing Arts Center on March 10, and was judged with her fellow contestants on community service, interviews on and off the stage, talent, poise and presentation of an evening gown. She was Miss Teen Moorpark in 2004.

Although the hours are long, Volk enjoys catching up with many of the same people who return to work on floats every year.

"For us the new year isn't really the new year," she said. "On Dec. 1, everyone says 'Happy New Year!' to each other. That's the new year for us."