400 Children in Germany Attend Disney Cruise Line Community Event
posted on February 2nd, 2012 by Rebecca Peddie, Manager of Public Affairs at Disney Cruise Line
The Disney Fantasy recently left the shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, but not before nearly 400 children from three local schools got to experience Disney characters and a special screening of “The Lion King” in 3D. It was Disney Cruise Line’s special way of saying thanks to the community that many cast and crew members have called home while the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy were being built at the nearby Meyer-Werft shipyard.
As the children clamored to hug Donald Duck and Minnie Mouse in the lobby of the local theatre, it was clear that while most of us who were Disney VoluntEARS at the event could not speak German with the children, a smile – rather 400 of them – means the same thing in every language.
This is just one of the many ways in which Disney Cruise Line gives back to the community across our many ports of call, including The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera and Europe.
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Walt Disney World Resort Brightens the Holidays With ‘Season of Sharing’
posted on December 23rd, 2011 by Kathleen Prihoda, Manager of Media Relations, Walt Disney World Resort
Happy holidays everyone! I’m happy to report the spirit of giving is alive and well at Walt Disney World Resort, where cast members are sharing their magic to make the season brighter for many Central Floridians.
As part of the “Season of Sharing” during the past few weeks, Disney VoluntEARS have:
- Collected 38,323 toys for the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots campaign;
- Spent more than 4,500 hours sorting and distributing Toys for Tots donations;
- Outfitted more than 2,000 teddy bears for the Salvation Army;
- Prepared more than 1,500 meals at Coalition for the Homeless; and
- Packaged more than 30,000 pounds of prepared food for the Disney Harvest program benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
While these efforts clearly help during the holidays, they go well beyond, as Disney gives cash and in-kind support year round at hundreds of local nonprofits that focus on improving the lives of children and families.
Time and time again, I’m impressed and amazed by what happens when Disney steps up to help address community needs.
These acts of generosity are deeply appreciated by those who benefit from them and are truly making a difference during a time when it’s needed most.
Giving is our Way at Disneyland Resort
posted on December 19th, 2011 by Kevin Rafferty, Jr., Communications Specialist, Disneyland Resort
‘Twas the season of giving at the Disneyland Resort, and in keeping with our annual tradition, we hope you’ll enjoy caroling about this year’s community support to the tune of “Winter Wonderland.” Happy holidays!
Community called, we were listenin’,
At the ready, our smiles a glistenin’
Bringing holiday cheer,
And donating all year,
Giving is our way at Disneyland.
We gave away – record donations,
To charities, and foundations
$13 million was contributed,
in So Cal it was distributed,
Giving is our way at Disneyland.
For the kids cast members held a toy drive,
Led by the one and only Mickey Mouse
He said: Are you giving?
We said: Yes Mick,
Thousands to the Toys-for-Tots warehouse.
Our wish program — we conspired,
By the children, we were inspired
With characters enchanted,
550 wish trips granted,
Giving is our way at Disneyland.
At a park together we built a playground,
For Anaheim children it did please
Adopt-a-Family helped 700 people,
Marine families received lots of Christmas trees.
Ticket requests, came to fruition,
For nonprofits – theme park admission
16 thousand donations,
to 4 thousand organizations,
Giving is our way at Disneyland.
The call for help, we were listenin’,
VoluntEARs workin’ and whistlin’
85 thousand hours this year,
One hundred sixty events with our gear,
Giving is our way at Disneyland.
In the schools we helped to build art programs,
About 200 grants that we gave
College aid for 10 high school seniors,
Five thousand in tuition each will save.
To volunteer, the feeling’s thrillin’,
Dreams at CHOC, we are a’ fillin’
At the CHOC Walk day,
Or holiday party to play,
Giving is our way at Disneyland.
Giving is our way at Disneyland.
Giving is our way at Disneyland.
Take 5: Holiday Community Outreach at Disney Parks and Resorts
posted on December 17th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
‘Tis the season for extra kindness and giving! Here at Disney Parks and Resorts, community outreach is something that is held very near and dear to every cast member and the holiday season is no exception! Check out the posts below from the Disney Parks Blog to see all our good works! How have you been giving back?
Take 5: Holiday Community Outreach at Disney Parks and Resorts
- Disney VoluntEARS Serve Tamales for Good Cause – Here’s a recap about the Disney VoluntEARS participating in the Latino Health Access (LHA) Tamalada last week.
- Disney VoluntEARS Donate 30,000 Toys to Families in Need at Walt Disney World Resort – Earlier this month, Mickey Mouse and Disney VoluntEARS began to deliver a collection of more than 30,000 new toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Central Florida Toys for Tots headquarters.
- Downtown Disney Holiday Trees to be Donated to Local Military Families – This Christmas, the joy of the holiday season will come in the form of a fully decorated tree to 17 local military families from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit!
- Disney Cast Members Pen Postcards of Thanks to U.S. Troops – Recognizing the efforts of the armed forces has become a year-round mission for some Disney VoluntEARS, who send notes of encouragement to U.S. troops just to let them know how much they are appreciated.
- Disney Feeds Campaign to End Hunger in Central Florida – With a gift perfect for Thanksgiving, Walt Disney World Resort delivered some special bushels of green yesterday to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida as part of ongoing efforts to help local families in need.
Disney VoluntEARS Serve Tamales for Good Cause
posted on December 14th, 2011 by Betsy Sanchez, Manager of Media Relations, Disneyland Resort
It’s not the holiday season until the smell of tamales fills my parents’ home. It’s a tradition I share with many, and one that Disney VoluntEARS took part in at the Latino Health Access (LHA) Tamalada just last week. The event, which gave its start to LHA, has been driven for the last 18 years by this saying: “We will have a healthier community, even if we have to sell tamales.” And that they have!
LHA sold 3,500 healthy tamales to benefit its diabetes management program and related eye surgeries, which can be life saving. The tamales sold do not contain lard and are made with reduced fat and sodium. This year, Disney donated $10,000 to LHA in support of those efforts and many others dedicated toward improving the lives of children and families in our community. To find out how you can help, visit www.latinohealthaccess.org.
See my blog post about our participation in this event last year.
Disney VoluntEARS Donate 30,000 Toys to Families in Need at Walt Disney World Resort
posted on December 9th, 2011 by Kathleen Prihoda, Manager of Media Relations, Walt Disney World Resort
‘Tis the season at Walt Disney World Resort for the annual Toys for Tots drive, and cast members have been busy collecting a record number of toys for children in need.
Yesterday, Mickey Mouse and Disney VoluntEARS began to deliver a collection of more than 30,000 new toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Central Florida Toys for Tots headquarters. Gunnery Sergeant Jose Rodriguez tells me that the sizable donation is the largest received to date and will help make the holiday season brighter for more than 20,000 children in Orange and Seminole counties. Click the video to see highlights from the give.
In addition to donating toys, Disney VoluntEARS are giving more than 4,500 hours toward helping the Marines with sorting donations and distributing toys to families in need.
Disney’s involvement with Toys for Tots is a tradition that dates back more than 60 years. In fact, Walt Disney and his animators designed the original Toys for Tots logo, which the campaign still uses today.
Disney Cast Members Pen Postcards of Thanks to U.S. Troops
posted on November 25th, 2011 by Kathleen Prihoda, Manager of Media Relations, Walt Disney World Resort
As I think about what I’m thankful for this holiday season, I’m grateful to those who protect our nation so we have the freedom enjoy this special time with our friends and families.
Recognizing the efforts of the armed forces has become a year-round mission for some Disney VoluntEARS, who send notes of encouragement to U.S. troops just to let them know how much they are appreciated.
Founded by a Disneyland Resort cast member in 1995, Operation Uplift was inspired by a letter from a soldier serving in Operation Desert Storm. That note said the troops didn’t receive much mail, but when they did, it meant the world to them because they knew people back home cared.
Since that time, Disney VoluntEARS around the country have sent more than 90,000 postcards of support and thanks to servicemen and servicewomen serving domestically and overseas.
Those who participate in Operation Uplift say they find great reward in sharing the magic of Disney with military men and women who are serving far from friends and family.
While it might seem like a small gesture, it’s nice to know that these patriotic postcards offer a salute with a smile and brighten many a day.
Disneyland Resort Engages in National Family Volunteer Day
posted on November 22nd, 2011 by Kevin Rafferty, Jr., Communications Specialist, Disneyland Resort
Last Saturday, Disney VoluntEARS celebrated National Family Volunteer Day by helping assemble 26,341 food boxes at the Orange County Food Bank for local seniors in need this holiday season.
That is 421 tons of food – a record for both the amount of food and the most food boxes assembled at the Orange County Food Bank in one day!
Created six years ago in partnership with the Disneyland Resort, the event has grown into one of the largest National Family Volunteer Day events in the country, inspiring employees from companies across Orange County to volunteer with their families.
More than 1,200 volunteers participated this year, including Disneyland Resort cast member Mary Cobb and her family, who are hard at work in this photo!
Wildlife Wednesdays: Disney VoluntEARS Create Magic (Naturally!) During Florida Coastal Cleanup
posted on November 16th, 2011 by Jackie Ogden, Ph.D., Vice President, Animals, Science and Environment, Disney Parks
More than 300 Disney VoluntEARS and their families and friends created magic this past Saturday. They made nearly 2,000 pounds of trash along four miles of coastline in Brevard County, Fla., disappear! Okay, so the magic consisted of spending several hours scouring the beach for trash big and small – finds included lots of cigarette butts, plastic wrappers, fishing line and even a broken surf board – but the result was certainly magical both for the wildlife who call the coastline and ocean home and the people who visit the beach to enjoy nature. From the squeals of delight when a bottle cap, food wrapper or other bit of plastic was found, you would have thought this dedicated cleanup crew had found Captain Jack Sparrow’s buried treasure!
The VoluntEARS from the Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Cruise Line, who were taking part in the International Coastal Cleanup, worked alongside partners from the Ocean Conservancy, Keep Brevard Beautiful, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canaveral Port Authority. We were especially pleased this year to be joined by “bigs” and “littles” from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida as part of the Disney’s Friends for Change program, which encourages kids, families and friends to do community projects together, including taking action to connect with and protect nature.
Did you know that it’s the little bits of trash that are most dangerous to wildlife? Sea turtles, birds and fish often mistake them for food. Here at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, at the Wildlife Tracking Center in Conservation Station, you can hear the story of Little Crush, a rescued sea turtle that came to us with a belly full of bits of plastic. Little Crush was successfully rehabilitated and returned to the ocean.
Participating in a local beach or waterway cleanup is a great way to protect wildlife and nature—and ensure that your area’s natural wonders will inspire and nurture future generations. We all can help too by reducing waste, using reusables instead of disposables, recycling everything possible and putting trash in the proper receptacles.
For more on Disney’s environmental and conservation efforts, visit www.disney.com/conservation.
Disney Feeds Campaign to End Hunger in Central Florida
posted on November 10th, 2011 by Kathleen Prihoda, Manager of Media Relations, Walt Disney World Resort
With a gift perfect for Thanksgiving, Walt Disney World Resort delivered some special bushels of green yesterday to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida as part of ongoing efforts to help local families in need.
Minnie Mouse, joined by Disney VoluntEARS, gave $500,000 to assist Second Harvest in its “Building Solutions to Hunger” campaign. Due to a record level of demand for its services, Second Harvest needs to build a larger facility so it can accept and distribute significantly more food throughout the community.
In addition to the funds, Disney pledged 20,000 pounds of fresh produce to the organization during the next year. This is on top of the ongoing Disney Harvest contributions, which totaled nearly 360,000 pounds of food in 2010.
Now in its 20th year, Disney Harvest collects excess prepared and unserved food from locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort and delivers it to Second Harvest.
Donations range from salad to filet mignon and help feed more than 1,000 local kids a week.
Watch the video to learn more.
