Here at Community Outreach we share information about the charitable work that The Walt Disney Company supports on a local level in the communities where we do business. Please read on to find out about our commitment to improving the areas where we live and work.
Anaheim, CA - The Disneyland Resort
The primary focus for the Disneyland Resort Cast's community involvement is Children & Families, in addition to supporting Education, Health, Environmental, Arts and Social Service initiatives. VoluntEARS projects are considered and led by a 45-member Leadership Council, guided by the Manager of Disney VoluntEARS and Cast Initiatives from Community Relations. In 2006 some of the Disneyland® Resort VoluntEARS accomplishments include:
Contributing nearly 103,717 hours of community service hours through 103 VoluntEARS projects,Donating more than 1.4 million dollar value of in-kind merchandise and equipment,Donating 1,037 pints of blood to the American Red Cross during blood drives at the Disneyland® Resort,Donating more than 12,181 toys to the Toys-for-Tots Foundation,Adopting 91 families, 69 children and 162 seniors as part of the Disney VoluntEARS holiday adopt-a-family program.
Disney VoluntEARS at the newly enhanced San Diego USO Center
To read more about The Disneyland Resort's work in their local community, click here.
Orlando, FL - Walt Disney World Resort
The Walt Disney Company knows that from birth to high school graduation, childhood has its challenges. Recognizing the opportunity to make a difference, Walt Disney World Co. extends a caring hand to the children of our community. Our programs and partnerships help to build better futures for our youth and, ultimately, a stronger community for us all. It is the goal of Walt Disney World's Disney - Helping Kids Shine to engage children in society by creating healthy, guiding relationships with grown-ups, providing constructive free time activities, offering character-building opportunities, and encouraging a sense of compassion for others, while helping those children who face adversity.
For more information about Disney - Helping Kids Shine, click here.
New York, NY - VolunTEARS
The Disney VoluntEARS program provides opportunities for Disney employees to contribute their time and expertise towards making a positive impact in the communities where they live and work while furthering the traditions and ideals of the Walt Disney Company. Disney VoluntEARS in New York draw from a diverse pool of approximately 6,000 cast members/employees from all Disney businesses operating in the greater New York region including: The Disney/ABC Media Networks (Broadcasting and Cable), WABC-TV, Radio Disney, ESPN Radio, Disney Publishing Worldwide, Buena Vista, World of Disney Store, Times Square Studios, Disney Theatrical, ESPN, Miramax and ESPN Zone. The Disney VoluntEAR Leadership Team coordinates programs, events and activities with the focus on special community service projects especially those relating to children and families. In 2006, Disney VoluntEARS in the New York area alone, were involved in over 165 projects and programs, 8,583 VoluntEAR opportunities and contributed approximately 88,230 hours of volunteer services.
Some of the incredible projects our New York Disney VoluntEARS worked on this year include the Lincoln Center Tree Lighting ceremony, National Day for Kids at Kips Bay Boys & Girls Clubs, compassion visits to children’s hospitals with Disney characters, Back to School Backpack Drive and various holiday programs including Secret Santa, Adopt-A-Family and our annual Toys for Tots toy drive. This past summer hundreds of Disney VoluntEARS also joined forces to restore the 5th Street Children’s Garden on the lower east side of Manhattan.
Click here to learn more about New York Corporate Community Relations.
ESPN Zone VoluntEARS are having a "barrel of fun" at the 5th Street Children's Garden Summer 2006
Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center Playground Opening June 2006
Disney Compassion Hospital Visit with special guests Cinderella and Prince Charming and World of Disney Store VoluntEARS January 2007
ESPN Zone Employees are busy building at the 5th Street Children's Garden Summer 2006
Greater Los Angeles - The Walt Disney Studios
The Los Angeles Community Relations department, located in Burbank, CA, oversees Disney's home-based philanthropic outreach. Since 1940 Disney's corporate home has been in the city of Burbank and the company has grown into the largest employer in both Burbank and the neighboring community of Glendale. Disney embraces its community leadership role not only in these cities, but in the greater Los Angeles area as well with programs focusing on learning, compassion, the arts, the environment and volunteerism. In addition to funding hundreds of local organizations, Community Relations supports thousands of non-profit groups by contributing Disney merchandise and theme park resort tickets for charity fundraisers.
In 2006, the Burbank Disney VoluntEARS collectively contributed 35,000 hours of service and supported 175 volunteer projects in the greater Los Angeles community. We salute our VoluntEARS who give their personal time and expertise to make a positive impact in our community, while furthering the ideals of The Walt Disney Company. We are also thrilled to announce that in 2008, The Disney VoluntEARS Program will celebrate its 25th Anniversary!
Would you like to learn more about the many local programs supported by the Los Angeles area Community Relations Department? Click here.
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
The Walt Disney Company President and CEO Robert A. Iger presented the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles with a $5 million donation from The Walt Disney Company Foundation in October of 2006. The funds will go towards the addition of a new hospital building, slated to open in 2009, enabling the hospital to further provide the best care for seriously ill and injured children. The gift, presented to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles President and CEO Richard D. Cordova, is the largest donation ever made to the hospital by a corporate foundation.
The Walt Disney Company is a longtime supporter of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The main entrance lobby was designed by Disney Imagineers and Disney characters regularly make visits to the young patients. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, along with all children’s hospitals and pediatric wings across the country, also receives a fun-filled shipment of Disney DVDs, toys, blankets and other merchandise every year.
Boys & Girls Clubs - Los Angeles Area
In celebration of National Boys & Girls Clubs Week, The Walt Disney Company helped brighten the lives of approximately 220,000 youngsters by donating $5,000 to each of the 44 Boys & Girls Clubs in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. In addition, the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Alliances in Los Angeles and Orange Counties were each presented $15,000.
As part of this on-going partnership, Disney will also contribute a 12-passenger van to one Club each year in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The Variety Boys & Girls Club in Boyle Heights and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim received the first vans this year and each of the 44 Boys & Girls Clubs in Los Angeles and Orange Counties also received 50 complimentary admission tickets to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.
The Wonder of Reading
The Wonder of Reading (WOR) is a Los Angeles based non-profit whose purpose is to inspire in children the love of reading. Disney established an on-going partnership with WOR to help expand its important mission through the underwriting of the Family Reading Partner Program, designed to equip parents with tools and educational materials to help their children become better readers. Additionally, Disney sponsored the renovation of the Burton Street Elementary School library as part of the WOR 3R Program - Renovate, Restock and Reading. Disney is committed to sponsoring one school library renovation each year.
Disney also was a sponsor of the 2007 The Wonder of Reading’s Explore-A-Story: Celebration of Books. Explore-A-Story is an imaginative children’s event that brings together authors, celebrity readers, arts-and-crafts, food, and more - all inspired by great children’s books. This year, the event featured a Disney Family Film Festival of full length movies and shorts based on beloved children’s books and showcased such Disney classics as The Wind and the Willow and Peter and the Wolf as well as the feature length hit, Holes.
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
As Title Sponsor of the 2006/2007 City of Los Angeles Official Heritage Month Celebrations, Disney helps to keep cultural traditions alive in Los Angeles through education, music, dance and the visual arts. Disney is proud to shine the spotlight on Latino, African American and Asian/Pacific Islander American heritage and culture through this sponsorship. These month-long celebrations feature the presentation of Heritage Awards for civic and artistic contributions, a variety of festivals and community events and engage LAUSD students in writing and creative competitions. In addition to the sponsorship, Disney contributes books, theme park tickets and provides the Disney VoluntEARS to support the many programs and activities.
Music LA - City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
Music LA is a music education program that coordinates resources to provide quality music instruction for young people throughout the City of Los Angeles where few or no music education programs exist. Music LA gives children and teens music training in a challenging and creative environment where learning, focus and discipline are cultivated. This program creates points of access between young people, creative communities and local government to support musicians and arts organizations as music education providers. Disney is proud to be the sponsor for the 2006/2007 Music LA
Big Sunday Weekend
Disney was the Presenting Sponsor of Big Sunday Weekend - April 28-29, 2007. This two-day extravaganza of community volunteerism partnered with hundreds of non-profit organizations on service projects all across Los Angeles County. Over 50,000 people volunteered during the weekend, including over 300 Disney VoluntEARS who dedicated their time to help Bert Corona Charter School, in Pacoima, with an "Extreme School Makeover" project. Tree People was on hand to help the VoluntEARS plant 49 trees and over 100 plants and flowers and also installed 30,000 square feet of sod for their soccer field, refurbished the bleachers and painted a mural.
Feria del Libro
The Feria del Libro: A Family Book Fair is a community-wide event promoting a culture of literacy at home and academic achievement at school. Disney was the Presenting Sponsor of the event that took place on June 2nd on the streets outside Los Angeles City Hall. Over 15,000 children and adults participated in crafts, reading activities, informational booths, entertainment and much more. Belle from Beauty and the Beast was on hand to read to children and encourage their love of reading.
Disney Cast Community Fund Awards Ceremony
Nearly 150 non-profit representatives, Disney employees and community leaders gathered for the 2nd Annual Disney Cast Community Fund Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 17th. The ceremony took place at the Disney Studios in Legends Plaza where thirty-five charities were awarded DCCF grants. Employees who nominated these organizations, along with those who served on the Granting Committee, attended the affair with "special" guest appearance by Mickey Mouse.
The Disney Cast Community Fund is a cast member/employee-driven and supported fund that accepts donations from Disney employees for the purpose of supporting Los Angeles based charitable organizations. The Walt Disney Company provides the financial support for the Fund’s administrative costs, enabling 100% of all contributions to go directly to local charities.
