LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Los Angeles Rams alumni Vince Ferragamo and Hall of Famer Jackie Slater will join Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) at the 128th Rose Parade® presented by Honda to thank members of the military, promote the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region and celebrate its “Holidays for Heroes” program. As part of its broad range of programs and services for veterans and the military, the Red Cross Holidays for Heroes program enables the public to send notes of support and gratitude to service members, veterans and their families during the holiday season.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161214005079/en/

Major Lynette Jones joins Jay Hong, Wells Fargo team member and Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army Retired at the Well Fargo museum in downtown Los Angeles. Major Jones will be Wells Fargo’s guest in the company’s appearance in the 128th Rose Parade, which will also include legacy Rams players Jackie Slater and Vince Ferragamo, to celebrate the Red Cross’ Holidays for Heroes program which enables the public to send notes of support and gratitude to service members, veterans and their families during the holiday season. (Photo: Business Wire)

Joining Wells Fargo in the 2017 Rose Parade will be Army Major Lynette Jones, who has served four overseas tours of duty in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, and has benefited from the supportive services the American Red Cross provides to members of the military, including the Holidays for Heroes program. “Through the ‘Holidays for Heroes’ program, I was lucky enough to receive holiday cards and notes of thanks from complete strangers when I was deployed overseas,” said Major Jones, who is currently an active Army Reserve Officer stationed at Los Alamitos Joint Forces Base, Los Alamitos, California. “It may seem insignificant but I cannot tell you how much it meant to me and my friends to receive mail and feel appreciated for our service. Simple gestures like these lifted our spirits and connected us to home – even when stationed thousands of miles away.”

Near the start of the Rose Parade in the Wells Fargo’s iconic horse-drawn stagecoaches are former Rams players Slater and Ferragamo. They will be accompanied by Wells Fargo team members honored as part of the LA Rams 2016 Community Player of the Week program, which has highlighted Rams players and Wells Fargo team members for their contributions to the Los Angeles community.

The Rose Parade closing show will encompass Major Jones riding in the stage coach along with over a dozen Wells Fargo Veteran team member and American Red Cross walkers. Additionally, the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corp will deliver a patriotic performance filled with gratitude galore.

“Wells Fargo has been a part of the Rose Parade® for more than a decade, and with each visit, we want to bring attention to a cause important to our company and team members,” said Jay Hong, Sergeant First Class U.S. Army Retired, Wells Fargo team member and Los Angeles Red Cross board member. “We’re honored to be joined by veteran Major Lynette Jones, the Los Angeles Rams and the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles to thank service members and shine a light on all they do.”

Wells Fargo has been helping military members and veterans succeed financially for more than 160 years. In the past four years, Wells Fargo has donated $70 million in support of military service members, veterans and their families through housing initiatives, career transition, financial education, foundation donations and event sponsorship. Specifically, Wells Fargo has donated more than $20 million to military- and veteran-related nonprofits, hired more than 6,300 veterans and donated more than 300 homes, valued at over $50 million, to veterans in all 50 states. Since 1999, Wells Fargo has given more than $1.8 million to the American Red Cross chapters across greater Los Angeles to support a number of initiatives, including disaster preparedness and response.

“We are pleased to partner with Wells Fargo for the Rose Parade and are excited to be part of this iconic event,” said Kevin Demoff, Los Angeles Rams chief operating officer. “We are honored that Rams Legends Jackie Slater and Vince Ferragamo will represent us in saluting our military serving at home and abroad and all who have served.”

The Rams have supported the Holidays for Heroes program since 2012, resulting in more than 80,000 personalized holiday thank you cards being sent to active and veteran military serving overseas and domestically. In November, Wells Fargo’s Los Angeles team members joined LA Rams players including Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers at two Los Angeles elementary schools and aided students in writing holiday cards that will be sent to service members overseas this holiday season. Additionally, in appreciation of the military’s service to our country, each year the Rams invite military members and veterans to attend a private practice around Veterans Day. After practice, the entire team signs autographs and poses for photos with those in attendance.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 8,600 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 42 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 269,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 27 on Fortune’s 2016 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

About the Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams – Los Angeles’ original professional sports team – stand as one of the oldest franchises in the National Football League and since its founding in 1937, have garnered three World Championships and sent 29 of its members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a professional sports team, the organization is committed to being a valuable civic partner and serving the greater Los Angeles area 365 days a year. For more information visit www.therams.com and follow the Rams on Facebook and Twitter, @RamsNFL.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcrossla.org or cruzrojaLA.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA.

About the Pasadena Tournament of Roses®

The Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that annually hosts America’s New Year Celebration® with the Rose Parade® presented by Honda, the Rose Bowl Game® presented by Northwestern Mutual and a variety of accompanying events. 935 volunteer members of the association will drive the success of 128th Rose Parade themed “Echoes of Success,” on Monday, January 2, 2017, followed by the 103rd Rose Bowl Game. For more information, visit www.tournamentofroses.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and visit our blog at blog.tournamentofroses.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161214005079/en/