It may have taken him 30 years, but Ken Sinko is about to fulfill a promise to his bride Peggy this New Year’s Day.
The Oak Park, Illinois couple, both 76, landed in California this week and launched themselves into a busy Rose Parade schedule. On Monday, they helped decorate “Goin’ Nutz,” the float entry from the city of La Cañada Flintridge, before embarking on tour stops, beginning with Equestfest.
“If it’s got ‘fest’ in the name, we’re probably going there,” Sinko said.
But it is the 112th Rose Bowl game between the No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers and the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide that hold the most special connection to the couple.
“I have a graduate degree from Northwestern and 35 years ago or so, I was like, ‘Peg, if Northwestern ever goes to the Rose Bowl, I’ll take you to the Rose Bowl game,” Sinko said. “And I’m thinking that would not happen because Northwestern was never any good.”
But lo and behold, his Wildcats made it to the Rose Bowl in 1996.
“But I had things going on in my life,” the retired mechanical engineer said. “I said, ‘Oh jeez, Peg, you know it’s not going to work out this year. They’ll be back soon, we’ll go then. And ‘then’ never came around. So 30 years later, I’m paying off on that promise.”
“And I’ve been holding a grudge all that time about that,” Peggy Sinko said. “I pretty much remind him every year when the parade comes on, so here we are.”
Peggy Sinko places leaves during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Roses are prepared during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Volunteers prepare roses during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Peggy Sinko and her husband Ken Sinko help with float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Roses sit ready to be placed during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Volunteer Jena Walker places lettuce seed on a part of the float during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Volunteers prepare flowers during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Volunteer Chuck Terhune from La Crescenta sews together portions of a flower feature during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Volunteers place beans on signs during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Yellow roses sit ready to be placed during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Volunteer Hannah Warde decorates an owl in the dry trailer during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) Show Caption1 of 11Peggy Sinko places leaves during float decorating for the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float Goin’ Nutz at Flintridge Prep in La Canada on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) ExpandFor the Sinkos, who celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in February, the advent of the Hoosiers into the game known as the “Granddaddy of Them All” was enough impetus to get on a flight to Pasadena.
“We couldn’t wait for Northwestern,” Ken Sinko said. “It’s not looking good.”
Besides, Peg, a retired librarian and historian at the Newberry Library in Chicago, is a Hoosier from birth. The couple also met as undergraduates at Valparaiso University in Indiana.
“We were thinking 50 years is coming up, we should do something special,” Sinko said.
Another special touch: they will wear T-shirts from the collection of Peggy’s cousin Bob, a big Indiana fan who passed away without seeing his Wildcats in the Rose Bowl.
“His wife brought us his shirts saying if Bob can’t make it to the Rose Bowl, he’d be there in spirit,” Peg Sinko said. “We will be happy to wear those in his honor and I think they’ll bring the team good luck.”
For years, the couple said they would sit and watch both the parade and game and remark about the beautiful California weather. This year’s promise of rain on New Year’s Day isn’t dampening the couple’s spirits, however.
“We’ve got our armor out, we’re ready to deal with it,” Ken said.
“We’re just going to enjoy it no matter what,” Peggy added. “This has been really much more than I anticipated, just seeing everyone working and how well organized it is. It’s amazing.”
The Sinkos will spend the first days of their 2026 exploring the area, with trips to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens on their agenda.
“We’re just happy to take in the whole experience,” Peggy said. “We’re glad to be here.”
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