Final ‘ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ to Take Place March 13 in New York City
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The curtain will rise one last time in New York City on March 13, 2011 in celebration of seven glorious years of the musical celebration benefit “ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.” The event, which to date has raised over $1.6 million, will feature stars from ABC’s “All My Children,” “One Life to Live,” “General Hospital” and “The View” who’ll join together in song and dance on Broadway for this final New York City-based gala concert in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
“ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares has been a wonderful success and a favorite of daytime fans since its first incarnation at Town Hall in 2005. Since then six editions of this eagerly anticipated variety show, featuring the most beloved and popular stars of ABC Daytime, has raised over $1.6 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, allowing us with the support of the stars and fans to reach out to hundreds of thousands facing the challenges of AIDS and other serious illness. But even in such an exciting world, all good things come to an end. And while BC/EFA is sorry to call this the last due to our own event scheduling conflicts, we are proud to take a final, very special bow with our friends from ABC Daytime. Whether you have been in the audience before or have yet to join us, this year’s Grand Finale Celebration will offer special performances and auction surprises sure to surpass anything done before. If you’re a fan of ABC Daytime, you will not want to miss what promises to be an extraordinary evening,” says BC/EFA Executive Director Tom Viola.
“All My Children” star Cameron Mathison will serve as host for the evening’s festivities, along with “The View’s” Oscar, Tony and Emmy Award-winner, Whoopi Goldberg, and Emmy Award-winners, “The View’s” Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd, and with “General Hospital’s” Anthony Geary. A full list of the performing cast will be announced at a later date. Tickets are now on sale at www.broadwaycares.org or call 212.840.0770. Talent participation is subject to change.
In the tradition of the New York City benefit, cast members from ABC’s “All My Children” and “General Hospital” committed to giving back and supporting the fans of ABC daytime, performing in three performances of the musical “The World Goes Round” in Los Angeles this past October, benefitting The LA Gay & Lesbian Center.
Categories: Television, Theatre Tags: ABC, ABC Daytime, Charity
Disneyland Resort Donates $200,000 to Help 20th Annual CHOC Walk in the Park Raise Record $2M
At sunrise on October 17, more than 12,000 walkers gathered on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland park to make a lasting impact on the lives of local families by taking part in CHOC Walk in the Park presented by Disneyland Resort. In honor of the event’s 20th anniversary, Disneyland Resort President George A. Kalogridis surprised CHOC Children’s Hospital with a special $200,000 donation, bringing total funds to a record $2 million raised in a single year. The Disney VoluntEARS team – composed of Disney cast members, friends and family – was the largest in terms of funds raised. The walk is the organization’s largest fund-raising event and has raised more than $16 million since its inception.
Photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort
Categories: Disneyland Resort, Theme Parks Tags: Charity, CHOC, DLR, Donation
Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney to Host ‘The Benefit Sale’ for United Way November 6
Just in time for the holiday season, United Way (UW) is announcing The Benefit Sale, hosted and sponsored by Walt Disney World Resort. Supporting the efforts of UW and other local nonprofit agencies, the inaugural retail event on Saturday, November 6 from 5:30 – 9:30 a.m. will feature incredible discounts of up to 50 to 75 percent off select merchandise at many of the participating Downtown Disney locations.
Access will be limited; a special voucher will be required for entry and can be purchased in advance for $5 from HFUW or from local participating nonprofit agencies. All of the proceeds from the sale of vouchers will go directly to HFUW and the 94 health and human service programs it supports through nearly 50 social services agencies throughout Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
“The Benefit Sale is a great way for residents to kick-start their holiday shopping while helping their friends, family and neighbors in need,” said Robert H. (Bob) Brown, HFUW President/CEO. “We all know someone who’s been tremendously impacted by today’s economy. United Way and our partner agencies are doing everything that we can to help residents who are in dire need. Your contribution by purchasing a voucher to The Benefit Sale will have a tremendous, lasting affect for so many people right here in our own community.”
In addition to helping Central Floridians in need, residents can enjoy great discounts for early birds. The sale will also feature door buster specials, surprise markdowns and more from Downtown Disney area merchandise locations.
Also, special boutiques from Epcot will be offering several unique assortments in a rare opportunity to shop from outside the park. Beauty specialists from Dior, Pucci, Acqua di Parma, Guerlain and Givenchy will be on hand with special offers on the latest cosmetics and fragrances.
A preview of many other special promotions, product launches and discounts from Walt Disney World Resort will be updated throughout October and can be viewed in advance at www.thebenefitsale.com.
On Nov. 6, only shoppers with vouchers will receive wristbands to gain access to The Benefit Sale. Wristbands will be required for admission to the Downtown Disney merchandise locations during the hours of The Benefit Sale. Vouchers and wristbands are not required for children ages 12 and under. To purchase vouchers for The Benefit Sale or for more information about Heart of Florida United Way, please visit www.hfuw.org or www.thebenefitsale.com.
Categories: Downtown Disney, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Charity, Counnity, Discount, DTD, United Way
Disneyland Resort Cast Members Contribute Over $385,000 to Southern California Nonprofits
Disneyland Resort cast members made magic for their favorite Southern California nonprofit organizations by donating more than $385,000. This month, cast members selected nearly 80 organizations – from local schools to social services – to receive grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.
The Anaheim Interfaith Shelter was one of the organizations that received a $5,000 grant. The shelter will use the funds to provide healthy food options at its on-site food pantry, helping to counter obesity among underprivileged children. The organization assists families in need of short-term support due to one-time events that cause homelessness.
“This grant will allow us to provide healthy food items to children in need, and we hope it will have a lasting impact by encouraging a healthy lifestyle,” said Colleen Smagala, executive director, Anaheim Interfaith Shelter. “We are thankful to Disneyland Resort cast members for their continued support and look forward to making a positive impact in partnership with them.”
Since its inception 13 years ago, cast members have contributed, managed and dispersed donations from the Disney VoluntEARS Community Fund to support innovative programs within nonprofit organizations. The fund has provided more than $3.7 million in grants to hundreds of organizations.
“This program is unique in that it is entirely funded by cast members who donate through regular payroll deductions or one-time donations,” said Jill Bolton, director, community relations, Disneyland Resort. “Each year, those who contribute have an opportunity to nominate their favorite nonprofit organizations to receive the grants.”
The program began when Resort cast members demonstrated a desire to contribute to their communities through nonprofit organizations with whom they were affiliated. The Disneyland Resort covers all administration costs associated with the fund so that 100 percent of cast member donations support the grants.
Categories: Business, Disneyland Resort, Theme Parks Tags: Charity, Community, Donations, Human Interest
Walt Disney World Cast Member Choir Encore! Raises Record $36K for Local Make-A-Wish
Taking to the stage for charitable good, the Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra hit an all-time high recently by raising $36,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida. The volunteer ensemble of nearly 500 Disney Cast Members put in more than 47,000 hours to produce Dream Our Dreams, A Musical Tribute to the Legacy of Disney. Proceeds from the August 6-8 shows hosted at Epcot World ShowPlace were given to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida this week.
“We really appreciate everyone who came to see and support our shows and help us collect a substantial gift for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida,” said Encore! producer Bruce Light. “This $36,000 donation sets a record for us and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Walt Disney World Resort, Epcot, and our amazing Encore! Cast who volunteered their time to help us produce our most ambitious show to date.”
Encore! offers Cast Members an outlet for their creativity and a chance to showcase their talents while performing great music for worthy causes. The troupe, founded in 2002, has grown to include 275 singers, 90 instrumentalists, 50 dancers and a production team of 40. At least half of the group has jobs outside of entertainment and aren’t performers by trade. For all involved, it’s a labor of love that truly makes a difference for charities that benefit from it.
“We are thrilled and honored to be receiving such a generous donation from the Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra,” said Tiffany Durr, development and event specialist for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida. “We rely on groups like Encore! and fundraising events to help us achieve our mission of granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions in our local community. Through their hard work and passion, Encore! is helping us share the power of a wish and for that we are deeply appreciative and sincerely grateful.”
Since its inception in 2002, Encore! has donated the funds from its ticket sales to local charities, raising more than $150,000 to date. Beneficiaries are determined by group vote; Encore! has chosen the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts as their 2011 beneficiary. Past Encore! beneficiaries include United Arts of Central Florida, SPCA of Central Florida, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and A Gift For Teaching. To learn more, visit www.encorecentral.org.
Photos courtesy of the Walt Disney World Resort.
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Charity, Encore, Human Interest
Walt Disney World Cast Members Donate Over Two Million School Supplies to Area Students
Walt Disney World Cast Members are lending a helping hand to Central Florida students in need this week by giving them the right supplies to start the upcoming school year with confidence. Stocking up on boxes of crayons, rulers, folders and packs of notebook paper, Disney Cast Members hit an all-time high by donating more than 2 million school supplies through Walt Disney World Resort’s annual back-to-school supply drive.
“I’m so proud of our Cast Members who gave a record number of school supplies to benefit our community, which is encountering a record level of need,” says Nancy Gidusko, director of Community Relations for Walt Disney World Resort. “By contributing these back-to-school basics, Disney Cast Members are making a difference in the lives of many local students and reaching more students, teachers and classrooms than ever before.”
This week, hundreds of Disney VoluntEARS sorted school supplies and distributed them to local students and teachers through partnerships with A Gift For Teaching and S.T.A.R.S. (Supplies to Assist Our Students). The annual campaign expanded beyond Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties this year to include Lake and Polk counties.
On Tuesday, Disney VoluntEARS gave nearly 1 million school supplies – ranging from pencils to scissors – to A Gift For Teaching. Walt Disney World Resort’s donation is annually the largest contribution received by the organization. Local teachers can pick up the supplies year-around through A Gift For Teaching’s free store, which benefits students in need in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
“With their substantial donations, Walt Disney World Resort Cast Members are at the forefront of helping us collect as many school supplies as we can for students in struggling families and the teachers that are compelled to help them,” said Jane Thompson, president of A Gift For Teaching.
Later this week, Disney VoluntEARS will distribute 6,460 backpacks, filled with 1.3 million school supplies, through S.T.A.R.S. The backpacks will be given to students at 13 Orange County public elementary schools in areas of high need.
“Disney is making a difference in the lives of thousands of young local students by donating the necessities for school,” says Chesta Hembrooke, president and founder of S.T.A.R.S. “For many, the backpacks are the only new item they receive to start the school year.”
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Charity, Donation, Voluntears
Disney to Donate $627,050 to Central Florida Community in August in Recognition of Walt Disney World Resort VoluntEARS Work in 2009
Throughout August, The Walt Disney Company is donating $627,050 to the Central Florida community in recognition of the 251,000 hours given by Walt Disney World Resort VoluntEARS in 2009. From schools to shelters, Cast Members selected approximately 250 local non-profit agencies and community service groups to receive Disney’s EARS to You grants. Top recipients include Orange County Public Schools, A Better Life Pet Rescue and local chapters of the American Cancer Society.
“Disney VoluntEARS enjoy sharing their time and talents and have a vested interest in making Central Florida an even better place for all who live in our community,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of community relations, Walt Disney World Resort. “The collective contributions of these Cast Members are impressive and impactful; they are truly making a difference during a time when it’s needed most.”
The Walt Disney Company, through the Disney VoluntEARS program, provides opportunities for Cast Members to give their time and expertise toward positively impacting their communities. Each year, the Company recognizes VoluntEARS who donate at least 10 hours of service with EARS to You grants, which are financial contributions of up to $1,000 to the non-profit organization of their choice.
This year, Walt Disney World Resort awarded more than 800 EARS to You grants. Disney dollars will go toward a wide array of worthy causes including local youth development groups, health and social services programs, environmental causes, community theatres and pet rescue organizations.
Disney VoluntEAR Maria Kirkland received an EARS to You grant of $500 for her active support of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. “I feel very fortunate to be able to provide not only my time but a financial contribution to such a worthy organization,” said Kirkland. “It makes me feel so wonderful to know that I was able to help a family or individual to have one less stress in their life.”
Categories: Business, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Charity, Donation, Human Interest, Voluntears
Walt Disney World Cast Member Choir Encore! Prepares for Make-A-Wish Benefit
Rehearsals are underway for the Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra’s summer production, Dream Our Dreams, A Musical Tribute to the Legacy of Disney. Known for staging spectacular charity concerts, the volunteer ensemble has chosen Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & Northern Florida as their 2010 beneficiary.
Encore! offers Cast Members an outlet for their creativity and a chance to showcase their talents while performing great music for worthy causes. The troupe, founded in 2002, has grown to include roughly 330 singers, 100 instrumentalists, 50 dancers and a production team of 40. Encore! producer Bruce Light says at least half of the group has jobs outside of entertainment and aren’t performers by trade. For all involved, it’s a labor of love.
Since its inception, Encore! has donated the funds from its ticket sales to local charities, raising more than $115,000 to date. The group recognized early on that they could do a lot of good by giving back. “We were getting a good amount of money from ticket sales and we didn’t need it,” said Clay Price, Encore! co-founder, artistic director and conductor. “We thought let’s give it to an organization that is going to benefit from this more than us.”
Each year, Encore! determines its beneficiary by group vote; Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & Northern Florida is the current recipient of their charitable giving. Past recipients include United Arts of Central Florida, SPCA of Central Florida, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and A Gift For Teaching.
Dream Our Dreams is scheduled for Aug. 6 – 8 at Epcot World ShowPlace. Performances are open to the public. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and available through www.encorecentral.org.
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Charity, Encore, Make-A-Wish
Photo Gallery: Celebrities Come Out for Elizabeth Glaser’s ‘A Time For Heroes’ Event
The stars came out in droves yesterday in Los Angeles to show their support for the 21st Annual ‘A Time for Heroes’ Celebrity Picnic to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Sponsored by Disney, the event offered tons of activities and photo-ops for the attendees.
Guests were invited to go on safari where they met Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in safari gear along with Timon from The Lion King and other Disney friends in addition to activities such as face-painting and ‘decorate your own drum.’ Other activities included creating special kits to send to mothers and babies in Africa and India.
The event was capped off by a live performance by Jesse McCartney along with a performance by The Rhythm Train featuring Chad Smith and Leslie Bixler with special guest Dick Van Dyke.
The annual event was expected to raise approximately $1.5 million to help create a generation free of HIV. Pediatric AIDS has essentially been wiped off the face of the map in the United States, however more than 1,200 children still become infected with HIV each day around the world. The Foundation currently works at more than 4,800 sites in 17 countries to bring prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS to children, women and families. Together we can eliminate pediatric AIDS worldwide.
We were there on the red carpet as many of the celebrities made their way to the event. There were far too many celebrities to name here, but just a few attending alongside Disney President and CEO Robert Iger and wife Willow Bay were Disney stars Bella Thorne, Gregg Sulkin, Debby Ryan, Ryan Newman, Caitlyn Taylor Love, Vincent Martella, Nicole Anderson, Brandon Smith, Bridgit Mendler, Jason Dolley, Logan Miller, Roshon Fegan and more. Evan Lysacek, Sasha Cohen and Candice Davis joined the ranks of the world class athletes, not to mention dozens of others well known from television amd films, many of which you can see in our photo gallery from the event below.
Categories: Disney Stars Tags: A Time for Heroes, Celebrities, Charity, Elizabeth Glaser, Events
ABC and ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Offer Text to Donate to Nashville Flood Relief
ABC Television Network and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” have teamed up to help raise money in support of Nashville flood relief with a simple “text-to-donate” charitable effort. Some cast members from the hit ABC show are scheduled to be there to lend their support and to help raise awareness for the Nashville flood victims.
Beginning today, simply text the keyword NASH [followed by a space] and the amount you want to donate to 27138. A thank you message with instructions enabling you to safely and securely fulfill your donation via credit card will follow. The donation will not be billed to your mobile phone.
Example: text NASH 50 to 27138
Standard message and data rates may apply. There is no age limit required. All proceeds will go to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
ABC and SOAPnet have previously donated $50,000 to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to assist with flood recovery. In partnership with the Office of the Mayor and Davidson County’s Office of Emergency Management, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee ensures that one gift can impact the widest range of charitable needs in times of disaster.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, Charity, EMHE, Nashville
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