On New Year’s Day, local kidney recipient, Juan Carlos Montanez, will represent Colorado on the 17^th annual Donate Life Rose Parade float in the nationally televised Rose Parade.  

The 2020 Donate Life Rose Parade float, Light in the Darkness, highlights the power of unity, light and love, as celebrated during Southeast Asia’s Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, a celebration of light shining in the darkness. The many lives touched by donation embody the hope inherent in this festival, and reflects the hope Juan Carlos experienced after receiving his transplant.

In 2009, while working abroad, Juan Carlos was diagnosed with acute End-Stage Renal Disease and placed on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. After six years on nightly peritoneal dialysis, Juan Carlos, then 41, received the gift of life with a transplant in July 2015. He is forever grateful for his donor’s gift of life, which is one of the reasons he has dedicated his life to bringing awareness to this cause.

Juan Carlos will be joined by 25 other people from across the country whose lives have also been touched by donation and transplantation.

Be sure to watch the 2020 Rose Parade and look for Juan on January 1, 2020! The Parade will be broadcast live starting at 8 a.m. PST on ABC, NBC, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, Univision and more. Check local broadcast listings for more information.