Local artists and volunteers put some of the finishing touches on a carbon-neutral, gator-shaped parade float made from repurposed materials Tuesday night in preparation for UF’s Homecoming Parade.
After about two months of construction, the 20-foot, bicycle-powered gator is almost ready to hit the streets.
A bicyclist sitting within the papier-mache walls of the float will be able to move a lever to make the gator’s mouth open and close as it rolls down University Avenue. Its legs will move along with the pedals.
The float is part of a new joint effort among local artists, volunteers, and the Alachua County sustainability and waste alternatives offices to engage the bicycling community and show what can be made from reclaimed materials.
The idea started last year when local artists Raymond Rawls and Lorraine Duerden decided to create a large, pedal-powered, fish-shaped float with a moveable fin. An improved version of that float will join the gator in this year’s parade.
Rawls said he was inspired to create the floats because he wanted to see more creativity in the parade and see the bicycle section stand out.
“We’re hoping to make the bike part kind of the anticipated part of the parade,” Rawls said.
He said he thought it could be a “nice little break from all of the car exhaust” bystanders breathe in.
Bicyclists from local organizations and unicyclists from UF’s juggling club Objects in Motion will ride alongside the float.
The majority of the materials used to create the float are repurposed items that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill, said Alachua County waste alternative specialist Fae Nageon de Lestang. Reclaimed bicycles, lumber, particle board, cardboard and paint for the project were collected from the county’s Leveda Brown Environmental Park and Transfer Station.
“I think it sends a beautiful message that they’ve taken things that were literally on their way out and turned them into a piece of art that our whole community can enjoy,” Nageon de Lestang said.
Rawls said he and Duerden plan to create another float next year.
About 30 community members participated in the construction of this year’s float.
Among the volunteers were Gainesville City Commissioner Randy Wells and his son.
Wells said he appreciated the creativity that went into the float’s design and construction.
“They’ve put a lot of heart into it,” he said.
A version of this story ran on page 5 on 11/6/2013 under the headline "Gator parade float to keep UF Homecoming sustainable"
John Patterson, left, Raymond Rawls, center, and Kevin Ratkus, right, wait for paint to dry Tuesday night after painting a 20-foot bicycle-powered parade float that will be a part of UF’s Homecoming Parade.
