In 1943, the country’s industry was focused on the war effort, and the Rose parade was no different. The Tournament of Roses Committee decided to hold “the longest parade in the history, a parade of war ships, airplanes, tanks, and guns, stretching all the way from California to Tokyo and Berlin.” The result was a virtual parade, where instead of raising money for floats, cities raised money for the war effort. South Pasadena’s city was in a category expected to raise $50,000 to $75,000 in war bonds and stamps. The city, of course, set its bar higher, and hoped to raise $100,000. When the totals were tallied, South Pas was well off its mark-on the plus side, raising $226,163. South Pas easily won first place in its category, and the Tournament of Roses had its most successful “parade” ever, raising $65 million dollars for the war effort. There would be no Rose Parade until 1946, when floats touting world peace and allied victory filled the now famous route.