Disneyland Resort Commits $5M to Local Area Children’s Hospital
With a pop of confetti and the drop of a banner from atop the CHOC Children’s construction site, Disneyland Resort yesterday announced a $5 million donation to CHOC in support of the “Change CHOC, Change the World” comprehensive fund-raising campaign.
The gift includes sponsorship of the lobby in the seven-story tower, slated to open in spring 2013. The tower will house new pediatric services and will incorporate the most advanced design and safety principles of any children’s hospital in the country. Disney Imagineers are busy helping to create an inviting lobby space sprinkled with special Disney touches to complement the hospital’s serene healing environment for children and their families.
Club Penguin Reveals Results of Annual ‘Coins for Change’ Program; $2M to be Donated
Club Penguin, which recently held its fifth annual ‘Coins for Change’ campaign, has doubled its charity donations to $2 Million this year as a result of players donating more than 10 billion of the in-game virtual coins.
In exchange for donating the in-game currency, Club Penguin players (predominantly children) are able to choose which of the global causes they wish to support. Kids can direct donations to provide medical help, build safe places or protect the earth. At the end of the event, the virtual donations to the three cause categories serve as votes to determine how a cash contribution from Disney Online Studios will be divided among charitable projects aimed at helping children, families and the planet.
ABC Family to Donate to Student Suggested Projects with ‘Bright Student, Big Ideas!’
ABC Family is joining forces with DonorsChoose.org on the “Bright Student, Big Ideas!” campaign, www.ABCFamily.com/BrightStudents. For the first time ever, public school students in grades 9-12 will be able to work with their teachers to submit a project for funding. ABC Family will “Double Your Impact,” providing 50 percent of the project funding (up to $100,000 in total funding).
Walt Disney World Donates $500,000, Food to Second Harvest Food Bank
Minnie Mouse joined Disney VoluntEARS today to deliver bushels of green to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida in the form of a $500,000 gift for the organization’s expansion. Disney also pledged 20,000 pounds of fresh produce during the next year as part of the commitment.
As part of Disney’s efforts to support organizations and programs that make a positive impact on children in the local community, this gift will fund Second Harvest’s “Building Solutions to Hunger” capital campaign. The contribution will help the organization build a larger facility so it can accept and distribute significantly more food and reach more Central Floridians in need.
ABC Family to Host ‘I Heart Greek’ Twitter Give-Back Event
ABC Family’s “Greek” will kick off its latest philanthropic endeavor, the I Heart Greek Twitter Give-Back Event, on Monday, February 14th. The event will give loyal fans of the hit series the opportunity to take home authentic “Greek” Kappa Tau, ZBZ and Omega Chi memorabilia, by showing their dedication to both the series and their community. Combining volunteerism with the social media phenomenon Twitter, the network is asking fans to tweet about the various ways they give back. Each tweet will be considered a sweepstakes entry and winners of items will be selected at random. Fans can visit abcfamily.com/giveback for more information about how to participate in the I Heart Greek Twitter Give-Back Event.
Walt Disney World Marathon Runners Donate Over 7 Tons of Clothing to Area Youth
As winter weather sets a chill across Central Florida, thousands of local youth are keeping warm thanks to donations from participants in the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna.
This week, nearly 25,000 warm clothing items from Disney will be distributed to those in need through Orange County Public Schools, Osceola County Public Schools, Covenant House and other Central Florida non–profit organizations.
Disney Friends for Change Announce Latest Round of Funding Recipients
Disney (NYSE:DIS) today announced the latest results of voting by kids on the Disney Friends for Change website. Disney Friends for Change is a multiplatform environmental initiative that helps kids help the planet. This round of voting is the first to include kids from around the world since Disney Friends for Change expanded into Latin America and Europe.
The voting is part of an overall call to action for kids to make a difference in their local communities. Registered participants make personal promises to reduce their impact on the environment by changing their everyday actions. They can also help allocate Disney’s $1 million commitment to fund environmental programs worldwide.
Walt Disney World VoluntEARS Donate Over 2,000 Teddy Bears via ‘Dress-A-Bear’ Program
A teddy bear is special gift. In an instant, it can become a child’s best friend. Partnering with the Salvation Army of Central Florida, Disney VolunEARS dressed more than 2,000 bears during this year’s Dress-A-Bear program.
Walt Disney World cast members have been participating in the Dress-A-Bear program for the past 14 years. Janice Jones, Walt Disney World Costumer and Workroom Manager, has coordinated Creative Costuming’s Dress-A-Bear efforts since the program’s beginning.
“It’s a creative outlet for cast members and it provides something special for children,” said Jones.
Walt Disney World VoluntEARS Donate 20,000 Toys to Toys for Tots Program
With approximately 20,000 brand new toys in tow, Walt Disney World Resort VoluntEARS were on a mission this morning to make the holidays brighter for thousands of local children. Joined by Mickey Mouse and Duffy the Disney Bear, Disney VoluntEARS made a special delivery to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Central Florida Toys for Tots headquarters to drop off the sizable donation.
Walt Disney World Resort cast members have spent the past few weeks playing the role of Santa’s helpers by collecting tons of new toys as part of the resort’s annual effort to support the Toys for Tots campaign.
Photo: Duffy the Disney Bear Helps Kick Off Walt Disney World ‘Toys for Tots’ Drive
(L-R) US Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jahir Jimenez, Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Duffy the Disney Bear and US Marine Corps First Sgt. Michael Diaz, head of the 2010 Central Florida Toys for Tots campaign, pose Nov. 15, 2010 in front of the “Cuddliest Christmas Tree” at Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The 20-foot-high, 10-foot-wide Christmas tree made of 1,200 stuffed Duffy bears was created for the launch of Walt Disney World Resort’s annual Toys for Tots collection drive. For the next few weeks, Walt Disney World Resort cast members will play the role of Santa’s helpers by collecting new toys for the annual toy drive, which will be added to Monday’s donation of 1,200 stuffed Duffy bears from the “Cuddliest Christmas Tree.” The annual toy drive is one of many charitable activities under way at Walt Disney World Resort during the “Season of Sharing” that focuses on improving the lives of local children and their families during the holidays and beyond. (Photo by Gene Duncan/Disney)

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