October 2024 Newsletter

Hello Rose Bowl Family,

Welcome to October. As we continue the fall season, we hope you and your families are doing well. The UCLA football season in the Big Ten Conference is well underway. We hope you will come out to see us for one of these matchups as the Bruins faithful have brought the energy, and the road fans are pilgrimaging to Pasadena for some Fall sunshine. Home games remaining are against Minnesota on 10/12, Iowa on 11/8, USC on 11/23, and Fresno State on 11/30. A special note on a couple of games: Minnesota has not played in the Rose Bowl Stadium since 1962, and Iowa since 2016.

UCLA Students enjoying the new safe standing student section last Saturday

Inductees to the California High School Football Hall of Fame

We are excited to have the next class of inductees to the California High School Football Hall of Fame which was announced a few weeks ago. The inductees will be honored at the Fresno State vs. UCLA game on November 30th. This class of 20 players and five coaches from all over California is the second-ever class to go into the Hall of Fame. A few notable inductees are Donn Moomaw, Willie Buchanon, Zach Ertz, Jared Goff, Jim Harbaugh, Craig Morton, and Gaston Green to name a few players. Tom Hamilton (Pasadena High School) and Bob Hitchcock to name a couple of the coaches being inducted. Classes are elected every other year by a state-wide committee representing all ten CIF state sections and after a public nomination period. The next class will be open for nomination and voting in 2026. Whenever you’re at the venue next, be sure to check out the Hall of Fame, which is inside Tunnel 20 on the west side of the concourse.

Don Moomaw, one of the inductees to the California High School Football Hall of Fame

Rose Bowl Institute’s Fall Women’s Empowerment Symposium

The Rose Bowl Institute’s annual Fall Women’s Empowerment Symposium is coming up this week on October 1-2 and 3. It is FREE and open to anyone – please help spread the word. Over the years, it has engaged thousands of youths from almost all 50 states and 7 countries.

For more information on the RBi’s Women’s Empowerment Platform, please visit the link here.

Rose Bowl Turkey Trot

Continuing a theme of community engagement, the Rose Bowl Turkey Trot will return for its seventh year on Thursday, November 28, 2024. This family-friendly event welcomes all ages to walk, run, or stroll the Rose Bowl 5K recreational loop on Thanksgiving morning.

In addition to the iconic race, guests will also be able to interact with vendor activations, have opportunities to receive giveaways, participate in a holiday-themed 360° photo booth, and more! Thanksgiving costumes and apparel are welcome. All participants will receive a race bib and an exclusive Rose Bowl Turkey Trot medal.

Pasadena Educational Foundation Partnership

This year, the Rose Bowl Stadium is partnering with the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF), which will donate a $5,000 matching grant to the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). This will fund athletic and emergency response equipment needed by student-athletes in Pasadena Unified, including Pasadena High Schools, Marshall Fundamental, John Muir Early College Magnet, and Blair. PUSD is home to over 30 competitive sports such as basketball, tennis, water polo, volleyball, track and field, soccer, football, softball, baseball, cheer, cross country, wrestling, golf, swimming, and badminton.

To register and learn more about the event click here. Early bird ticket pricing is available now until November 3rd. Children nine and under are free. Four-legged friends are invited too, with a leash. Rose Bowl Turkey Trot tickets are 100% tax-deductible and will support the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, to help fund future community projects.

Legacy Visits Historic Stadiums

As always, Legacy is on the road visiting donors and ensuring the appropriate perspective is gathered! In September, the Legacy Foundation and a few donors and friends had a chance to visit LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Another historic stadium that is turning 100 years old this season, the LSU administration has been a critical part of the Congressional Historic Stadium Caucus that launched back in late 2023. The Caucus now has 25 of the nation’s most historic stadiums working together for positive change and support as infrastructure, safety, security, and other capital improvements are made amongst the group’s facilities. Tiger Stadium is one of the classic stadiums in all of college football and you can truly see why they have a great home-field advantage and have the nickname “Death Valley”.

Also, while in New Orleans, we were greeted by the Caesar’s Superdome staff to a presentation of their renovations and a tour of their historic building. The Superdome is very much like the Rose Bowl in hosting major events throughout the year, and hearing about its economic impact on the City of New Orleans and the region is a great example of similarities that the Rose Bowl Stadium has to our own Pasadena and Los Angeles County communities.

Craftoberfest

Also, in October, Craftoberfest is back. With various carefully curated craft breweries from the Southern California area, this food and drink festival will provide each guest with a delicious experience influenced by the world's largest "Volksfest" (beer festival) in Germany. The event will serve traditional and fan-favorite foods influenced by this internationally loved holiday. For more info, visit the link here.

Looking Ahead to 2025

In a look ahead to the new year, stay tuned for some exciting announcements for events here at the Rose Bowl Stadium in 2025 and some key items out of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation. These events and updates will be a lot of fun for everyone and transformational for the Rose Bowl Stadium. Stay tuned!

Thank You

We thank all our Rose Bowl Legacy Family for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you at the Rose Bowl Stadium or one of our events soon.

On behalf of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation team,

Brian Brantley
VP of Advancement
bbrantley@rosebowlstadium.com

Donate to Legacy Today

Deadline for December Installation is October 23rd