LOS ANGELES -- If you drive into Dodger Stadium this week, chances are you will see marching bands going through their paces in the stadium's spacious parking lots and walking the two miles around the stadium. As they do every year, the bands are preparing for the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on New Year's Day.

But this year is a little bit different because the Dodgers will be taking part in the parade for the first time, so there is a lot of activity at Chavez Ravine both inside and outside of the stadium.

A float entitled "Celebrating America's Favorite Pastime" -- which, appropriately, will be the 50th float down the parade route -- kicks off the year-long festivities surrounding the Dodgers' 50th anniversary in Los Angeles.

Hall of Famers Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda and Jaime Jarrin will ride on the float that will feature baseball legends representing many decades of Dodgers history. Current Dodgers Nomar Garciaparra and James Loney as well as former Dodgers Steve Garvey, Carl Erskine, Don Newcombe and Fernando Valenzuela will also be on the float that will also have fans cheering from the bleachers for a 35-foot-tall Dodgers player coming out of a grand slam swing.

Leading the way for the float will be the Los Angeles Unified All-District High School Marching Band, which has 350 of the school system's best high school instrumentalists and drum majors take part in the parade. This will be the band's 36th straight appearance in the parade and 26th year it has practiced at Dodger Stadium. All the band members will be wearing special Dodgers hats that have "2008 Tournament of Roses Parade" on the back of them commemorating their participation.

"This is a great honor for us," said Tony White, the band's coordinator and head director. "This is a way for us to pay back the Dodgers through our service and a thank you to them for their commitment for our kids and our program and we really appreciate it."

Walking alongside the float will be members of the Dodgers family to represent the more than 600 ushers, ticket takers, customer support staff and security personnel that work every home game. Ray Alvarado, Cheryl Collins, Diana Darr, Earl Davidson, Eddie Gonzalez, Raul Gutierrez, Sara Guzman, Anthony Lopez, Richard Montano, Raul Rodriguez, Danny Telford, Jim Terminal and Kevin Waters will be wearing Dodgers jackets and the commemorative Dodgers hats and will carry special Dodgers flags. The group represents more than 225 years of service to the organization and all are greatly honored to represent the Dodgers employees.

"When they asked me to participate, it just blew me away," said Gonzalez, the senior member of the group, who started working at Dodger Stadium as an usher in 1963. "I am so happy to participate in something like this. I have been watching the parade for so many years and now I get a chance to participate in it, and that is so very exciting to me."

"I get goose bumps just talking about it -- I'm so excited to be a part of this and this organization," said Darr, who first started making Dodger Dogs in 1988 and became an usher two years later. "It's an honor to be asked; there's no way I would miss this. I've watched the parade for many years and I finally had the opportunity two years ago to go to it for the first time. So to be in it is a first and I'm very grateful."

"This is quite an honor," said Montano, a 27-year veteran, who gets to say hello to all the players and coaches as the security lead at the Dodgers clubhouse and handles security in the Dugout Club area. "There are so many great people who work here, so just to be chosen as one of the 10 people to walk alongside, that's a big honor, and just to be a part of the overall group who will be on the float is really exciting. It really is a chance of a lifetime."

"I just found out at lunchtime today that I was going to be taking part in the parade," said Telford, who works in the maintenance and electrical department and along with Waters was selected through a special employee drawing on Wednesday. "It's great to have Kevin, who works in the same department with me ... and I'm also working with Nancy Bea Hefley." Hefley is the stadium organist who will be playing on the float.

"It is pretty incredible to be considered out of so many employees ... quite an honor," said Guzman, an usher captain who will begin her 15th season with the club in 2008. "To participate in our 50th anniversary and to walk in the Rose Parade is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"I'm a Dodger fan and an employee," said Gutierrez, the assistant manager of guest services, who is proud to say he watched Kirk Gibson's historic home run in 1988 as a rookie usher. "Because of my current position, I have daily contact with people like Scully, the current players and some of the legends, and knowing that I'm a part of that with them is a really big privilege and it's something that I'll never forget."

Dodgers employees and fans will decorate the float on Wednesday. Fans interested in volunteering to help out can get more information by visiting www.fawwdecoration.com.