The Commissioner's Trophy visits Salesforce HQ and gets up close with Giant’s fans.

The night the Giants clinched the National League’s pennant, celebratory plans went into motion at Salesforce, but it all snowballed after they actually won. Linda Dunlap, Vice President of Strategic Keynote Events, recalls the flurry of activity leading up to the World Series victory parade. “The day after the Giants won the World Series, we were contacted by the Giants organization and asked if we wanted to participate in the first World Series parade the city had held in over 50 years. We worked with Employee Success to identify and invite employees to round out the float participants. We also sourced, rolled, and packed hundreds of t-shirts to be thrown into the crowds. The details were a blur,” she says.

(L-R) Julie Cherrstrom, Linda Dunlap, Chelsea Bach, and Michele Schneider get ready to hit the San Francisco Giants World Series victory parade

The centerpiece of Salesforce’s parade experience was the float. Paying homage to the Giants’ closing pitcher Brian Wilson, our (now retired) mascot Chatty donned a beard for the occasion. The float also received a boost from another popular mascot: the Giants’ own Lou Seal who hammed it up for the crowd.

Chatty and Lou Seal practice their moves before the parade

To say that San Franciscans (and neighbors) were excited is an understatement. Although one million parade attendees were expected, two million showed up. “Fans were standing hundreds deep through the entire route. They were leaning out windows, on terraces, and standing on light posts. Confetti was flying everywhere and fans were cheering for the shirts we were throwing out,” Dunlap remembers. “The energy was nothing like I had ever seen. The employees who shared in the experience of that day are forever bonded. I continue to be so grateful to Salesforce for enabling me to have a career full of experiences with employees that will forever bond us.”