THE TOURNAMENT OF ROSES® HAS FOUND ITS 2008 ROSE QUEEN

PASADENA, Calif. (October 16, 2007) – The Pasadena Tournament of Roses named Dusty Gibbs as the 90th Rose Queen today. This announcement concludes a month-long process that began with more than 1,100 Pasadena-area young women who participated in the Tournament of Roses Royal Court tryouts. Queen Dusty was selected from the recently appointed seven-member Royal Court. The Rose Queen and Royal Court will reign over the 2008 New Year’s Day festivities, culminating with the 119th Rose Parade® themed Passport to the World’s Celebrations and the 94th Rose Bowl Game®.

The Rose Queen and Royal Court were presented with a pearl necklace and pearl earrings from Mikimoto (America) Co., Ltd. earlier this morning. Mikimoto is the exclusive provider of the crown and tiaras worn by the Rose Queen and Royal Court on Coronation day and on New Year’s Day. The crown Queen Dusty will don is elegant and timeless, featuring more than 600 cultured pearls and six carats of diamonds.

Rose Queen Dusty and the six Rose Princesses were selected based upon a combination of qualities, including public speaking ability, poise, academic achievement and community involvement.

“The Tournament of Roses is delighted to name Queen Dusty as the 2008 Rose Queen,” said Tournament of Roses president CL Keedy. “We are honored to have Queen Dusty and the six Rose Princesses as part of our Tournament of Roses family. We couldn’t ask for more talented and graceful ambassadors for Pasadena, the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game.”

Rose Queen Dusty, 17, attends Arcadia High School and lives in Arcadia. She is actively involved in A.L.L.I.E.S., a Christian club, as well as the Lake Avenue Church Leadership Team, where she organizes retreats and other activities. She enjoys spending time playing softball and is passionate about reading. Dusty plans to attend Loyola Marymount University to study science so she can pursue a career as a physician’s assistant. Her parents are Cody Gibbs and Cindy Roberts. She has three siblings, Ashley, 24; Shelby, 18; and Samuel, 4.

As an official ambassador of the Tournament of Roses, Queen Dusty will participate in approximately 150 community and media functions along with Rose Princesses Zena Brown, 18, Alverno High School; Chloe Ghoogassian, 17, Pasadena High School; Kelsey MacDougall, 17, La Cañada High School; Katie Merrill, 17, Pasadena High School; Courtney Rubin, 17, San Marino High School and Gaelen Stanford-Moore, 17, South Pasadena High School.

About the Pasadena Tournament of Roses
The 119th Rose Parade, themed Passport to the World’s Celebrations, will take place on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. (PST) featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands from throughout the nation. Following the Rose Parade, at 2:00 p.m. (PST), the 94th Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi will feature an exciting match-up between two championship teams, showcasing the best of collegiate football. For additional information, please call (626) 449-ROSE, the 24-hour information hotline, or visit www.tournamentofroses.com.

About Mikimoto (America) Co., Ltd.
Mikimoto (America) Co., Ltd. Is the American subsidiary of K. Mikimoto & Co., Ltd., the world-renowned Japanese company. In 1893, company founder Kokichi Mikimoto was the first person to develop a technique for the cultivation of pearls and the business remains the world leader in high-quality cultured pearls. Today, almost all pearls sold worldwide are cultured pearls, cultivated by the same technique that Kokichi Mikimoto invented. This includes Japanese Akoya pearls, as well as South Sea pearls from Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines and black pearls from Tahiti.

The company is internationally recognized for its product design, superior craftsmanship and strict quality control. Mikimoto’s American retail stores are located on Fifth Avenue, New York; The Regent Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills; South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa; and The Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. Mikimoto is also sold at select fine jewelers nationwide. International locations include The Ginza, Tokyo; New Bond Street, London; Place Vendome, Paris; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Seoul, Korea and Kuala Lumpur.