The three men who died Monday in a helicopter crash on their way to pick up a donor heart will be memorialized in roses. Their sacrifice so saddened staffers at a nonprofit organ procurement agency in Los Angeles that they decided to feature the men as part of their ninth annual float in the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, Calif., on Monday. “We were obviously very touched by the loss,” said Bryan Stewart, vice president of communications for One Legacy, the organ and tissue recovery organization for the Los Angeles area. One Legacy coordinates the Tournament of Roses parade float sponsored by Donate Life America, a nationwide nonprofit alliance of organizations dedicated to organ, eye and tissue donation.

Florida Times-Union, by Beth Cravey, 12/2011

Tags: Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Transplant