Pasadena, California (January 1, 2009) - More than one million spectators lining Colorado Blvd. and millions more watching around the world were treated to the New Mexico Tourism Department’s “Hats off to new Mexico – Beep Beep” float, winner of the coveted Bob Hope Humor Award in the 120th Tournament of Roses® Parade.

The Bob Hope Humor Award, in honor of the one of the world’s greatest entertainers, the late Bob Hope, is given to the float that is considered by the judges to be the “most comical and amusing.”

Among the float’s riders were Jim Garcia of El Patio Restaurant, Linda Clough Jones and Craig Kausen. Jones and Kausen are the daughter and grandson, respectively, of Chuck Jones, the animation genius behind Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner, the featured performers on New Mexico’s award-winning float. This is the second straight year that the Land of Enchantment’s float entry in the Tournament of Roses® Parade has won a major award.

The float was designed by award-winning float designer Raul Rodriguez and built by Fiesta Parade Floats of Pasadena, Calif. under contract with the Tourism Department. Fiesta Parade-built floats won four of the top five trophies given in today’s parade.

“This was a fabulous experience and an incredible honor for the citizens of New Mexico,” Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the Tourism Department, said of the award. “We are grateful to Raul, Tim (Estes) and all the folks at Fiesta Parade Floats. We also thank the nearly 65 New Mexico volunteers who traveled by plane and automobile to California to work on the float and take part in the festivities; our volunteer float riders who are wonderful ambassadors for the State of New Mexico; and we particularly want to thank our sponsors – Isleta Casino & Resort, New Mexico State Parks, Albuquerque Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Santa Fe Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, the Town of Taos, the Town of Red River, Santa Fe Brewing Company, ESPN, Vivac Winery and El Pinto Restaurant for helping us in this unique marketing effort.”

The national and international exposure offered New Mexico through television coverage of the 2009 Tournament of Roses® Parade is valued at more than $1 million, according to industry experts. Nearly 40 million Americans in 16.5 million households tuned in to watch the 2008 parade on nine national and international television networks, including NBC, ABC, HGTV and the Travel Channel. The Parade was also broadcast live in 150 countries and territories.

“The national and international exposure offered New Mexico through our appearance in the Parade and the media events held in conjunction is immeasurable,” Secretary Cerletti said. “Our purpose in participating in this event – like all our advertising efforts - is to pique the interest of our potential visitors and to create in them a curiosity to find out more about the Land of Enchantment. It is important that the New Mexico tourism industry does everything it can to take advantage of unique marketing opportunities, like the Tournament of Roses® Parade.”

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