IN THE NEWS: Local student to ride float in Rose Parade

From the San Diego Union-Tribune

SAN DIEGO: D’rell Gist, a sixth-grader at the Language Academy magnet school in San Diego, will get to view the 121st Rose Parade on New Year’s Day from a special vantage point.

He was chosen to ride on a float sponsored by the Kaiser Permanente health system.

D’rell, 11, of San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes two years ago.

He receives six to eight insulin shots daily to maintain a proper blood-sugar level.

Kaiser officials selected eight pediatric patients for the parade ride.

The float will feature whimsical merry-go-round animals and a giant cornucopia overflowing with fruits and vegetables.