The Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) launches its celebration of the profession’s 100-year anniversary with its float in the 2017 Tournament of Roses Parade, which will take place Monday, January 2, in Pasadena, Calif, and will be broadcast around the world.

The float, called “Celebrating a Century of Occupational Therapy,” is part of OTAC’s yearlong centennial celebration and public education campaign, “100 Stories of OT.”

“The Occupational Therapy Centennial Float represents a uniquely proud and momentous occasion in the 100-year history of occupational therapy and our service to society. We are beyond excited to be sharing our profession with the world,” comments OTAC president Heather J. Kitching, OTD, OTR/L, in a media release from OTAC. “This centennial float embodies our vision of a world where all people participate in meaningful and enriching daily activities to optimize their life experience.”

The 12 occupational therapy notables, patients, practitioners, and students chosen to ride on the float are: Heather J. Kitching; Lela Lorens, PhD, OTR/L, occupational therapy pioneer and educator; US Marine Brandon Dobson; social media personality and makeup artist Kaitlyn Dobrow; Lisa Deshaies, OTR/L, CHT, Dobrow’s occupational therapist; Ada Boone Hoerl, COTA/L, educator and catalyst of the profession; occupational therapy students Harrison Phelps and Stephanie Conway; Florence Clark, PhD, OTR/L, occupational therapy pioneer and educator; Special Olympics athlete Juan Carlos Medrano; Jack Onufer, straight A high school student overcoming sensory integration dysfunction; and US Marine Jesus David Vidana.

“I am so honored to have led this effort. The first 12 stories represented by the float riders are so important and inspiring,” states the 2017 OT Centennial Float Committee Chair Sarah Bream, OTD, OTR/L. “And the opportunity to interact with the profession around the country has been an extremely rewarding experience; beyond what I could have imagined.”

As part of the public education campaign, in the coming months OTAC will share more stories regarding the impact of occupational therapy on providers and patients, in celebration of the profession’s service to society, the release notes.

[Source: Occupational Therapy Association of California]