Former 'Survivor' cast member builds float for dance team

When Patricia Cain wanted to build the "perfect float" for her Jazzy Jaguars dance team to ride on during the Grovetown Christmas Parade, reality television personality Rob Mariano came to her rescue.

Mariano, or "Boston Rob" as he was known on the CBS reality shows Survivor: Marquesas and The Amazing Race, is now a regular contributor for the network's morning news program, The Early Show, with his "Rob to the Rescue" segment.

A construction foreman by trade, Mariano helps viewers solve their construction problems.

"I'm a Survivor fan and he was on Survivor ... and it just so happened that I taped The Early Show one morning and he was on there," Cain said, adding that Mariano was a favorite of hers from the reality series.

"I had never e-mailed anyone like that before and I just e-mailed him and told him about our dance team," Cain said.

The Jazzy Jaguars is Grovetown Elementary School's dance team comprised of 20 boys and girls in third through fifth grades. Cain is their volunteer teacher.

The team wanted to participate in the city's parade, but there was a problem, Cain said.

"This is our first year, so needless to say we have no funds or anything to do anything with," she said.

Much to her surprise, Mariano called Cain two months ago and the two have spoken nearly every day since, she said.

Mariano came to Grovetown on Friday with a crew to film his work on the 36-foot-long float.

"Patricia's letter to us and what she was doing was completely selfless because all she was thinking about was the children and that's what we were looking for," Mariano said Friday. "The show is about helping others and that is what Christmas is all about."

Christmas and giving are special themes to Mariano because Dec. 25 also is his birthday, he said.

The float's theme was "Making Spirits Bright," and featured a Christmas tree surrounded by presents. The float was awarded the grand marshal's prize by Air Force Lt. Col. Marilyn Jenkins.

For Mariano's work with the children, Mayor Dennis Trudeau awarded Mariano a city of Grovetown flag that accompanied soldiers from the city to Iraq. The segment was scheduled to air Tuesday.