The Rose Parade marching band from Japan is donating thousands for wildfire relief

It’s expensive enough these days for a marching band from another country to raise money to be part of the Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2026.

Costs average out at $2,000 to $2,500 per band member. For example, if a band has 300 members, that equals $600,000 to $750,000, said Terry Madigan, executive vice president of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association. Heck, design and construction of a high quality float runs $275,000, according to the Tournament of Roses.

But there was a band this year that was willing to offer a little extra for a good cause.

When Tournament of Roses President Leavens visited a top band performing on Jan. 1, the Mino Jiyu Gakuen “Golden Bears” Green Band, from Mino Jihy Gakuen High School in Toyonaka, Japan, the band’s director said the students should recognize the severe hardship of those who lost their homes in the Palisades and Eaton fires on Jan. 7-Jan. 8 2025.

“They said to them when they perform in the Rose Parade they should pay tribute to those people because of all they’ve gone through. So, those students raised $7,000 and gave that to us from out of their own pockets to help out the fire victims,” Leavens said.

Aside from their generosity, this band will include acrobatics from its cheerleader squad who will be performing with the band. The squad has receive 40 national titles.

“There are so many amazing stories” of bands who help others get to the Rose Parade in Pasadena, or in the case of Mino Jiyu Gakuen, helping those in Altadena, Pasadena and the Palisades, added Madigan.