Watch as a group of Walt Disney World Resort cast members build larger-than-life sculptures using nothing but cans of food! Following the annual CANstruction event, everything used in the sculptures was donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, a nonprofit that Disney has supported for more than 20 years.
Archive for Disney VoluntEARS
A Close-Knit Band of Disney VoluntEARS Create Gift of Love
Spreading a little extra pixie dust, dozens of dedicated Disney VoluntEARS meet nearly everyday putting their hands and hearts together to knit, crochet and stitch handmade baby caps, scarves, pillowcases and blankets for newborns, children and others in Central Florida.
Also known as BlanketEARs, the close-knit group of Cast Members banded together in 2007, as a small group that would get together once a week to knit caps for soldiers deployed overseas. Over the years the group grew into a sizable organization and expanded their efforts to include baby caps, afghans and pet mats. They gather their items each month to work on various projects and learn new skills like new stitches, different patterns and quilting techniques.
“I like being able to see all the things that are made,” said Cast Member Debbie Weber who works in the animal nutrition center at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. “All these items are made with love, giving hope to the recipients regardless of the situation they are in. It’s really great to add some spark to their day.”
Disney Chefs VoluntEAR at new Homeless Facility
Chefs from Walt Disney World Resort whipped up some delicious meals and were among the first to pepper their culinary expertise with the residents of the new Men’s Service Center at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.
The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida is the largest provider of homeless services in Central Florida and the largest residential facility for children. The Coalition provides a broad range of services to help deal with the root causes of homelessness, including job training and educational programs to over 600 men, women and children. The new Men’s Service Center offers community meals every night and provides supportive services for up to 250 men.
With 100 pounds of meat balls, 1,000 dinner rolls, 300 pounds of tortellini, 1500 corn dogs, 200 pounds of bread pudding and 750 cupcakes, the Disney chefs prepared enough food to feed 1,000 people during their latest bi-weekly visit to the nonprofit.
Disney’s involvement was not limited to the kitchen. Earlier this summer, other representatives from Disney volunteered time to unload trailers full of furniture, move them into the building and assemble the unfinished pieces. In addition, Disney has supported the Coalition through Disney Grants. As a top recipient of the grants, the Coalition receives ongoing comprehensive support from Disney, through volunteer board service, assistance in the maintenance and improvement of Coalition facilities and through the donations of more than 18,000 meals annually and warm clothing in the winter.
“Walt Disney World has been a long-time supporter of the work and mission of Coalition for the Homeless,” said Brent A. Trotter, president and CEO of the Coalition for the Homeless. “Because of their generous support of our children’s programs, the donations of in-kind goods and services, and the hundreds of VoluntEAR hours given by so many Disney Cast Members on countless projects, we are able to provide crucial services to those experiencing the crisis of homelessness.”
In addition to supporting the Coalition for the Homeless, Disney is actively involved in helping address homelessness in Central Florida by working with community programs and partnerships to reduce the number of homeless people in the community and prevent more people from being at risk.
Disney VoluntEARS Celebrate Teachers at A Gift for Teaching Shopping Event, Donate 2.5 Million Back-to-School Supplies
As teachers across Central Florida prepare to ring the bell opening a new school year, Mickey Mouse and VoluntEARS from Walt Disney World Resort provided a ringing endorsement for the community’s educators today – 2.5 million back-to-school supplies and cash donations benefiting more than 70,000 local students.
Disney VoluntEARS visited A Gift For Teaching (AGFT) to stock shelves and assist as the nonprofit opened its Free Store to Orange County teachers for their first day of shopping. The event was the culmination of DisneyCast Members’ annual back-to-school supply drive, which included more than 2,000 hours of collecting, sorting and helping distribute supplies such as paper, pencils, composition books and markers.
“Our Cast Members support education in a variety of ways, but one of the most rewarding is helping Central Florida’s children get ready for a successful year of learning,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of corporate citizenship for Walt Disney World Resort. “For more than a decade, our back-to-school supply drive has been a fun way to help local families, while making an investment in our community’s future.”
Disney VoluntEARS Help Bring Healthy Play to Nearly 6,000 Oakland, Fla. Kids
In a matter of hours this past weekend, a KaBOOM! volunteer construction crew including 125 Disney VoluntEARS built a new playground in Oakland, Fla., providing a safe place to play for nearly 6,000 children who live near the town’s Westside Park.
More than 200 volunteers – including Disney VoluntEARS and representatives of the Town of Oakland and Oakland Nature Preserve – took part in the project led by KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring children’s access to active play. In less than six hours, the crew placed 48,600 square feet of safety surfacing and assembled a labyrinth of brightly colored playground equipment.
“Disney VoluntEARS are proud to help build this place of fun and fitness, where children and families can learn, play and grow together,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of community relations and minority business development at Walt Disney World Resort. “It was exhilarating to see this project come together in just one day for the children of Oakland.”
The playground’s design was based on local children’s “dream playground” drawings, which were collected at a kick-off event in February. After volunteer builders put the finishing touches on the construction, they took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the new play area on Saturday.
“We’re so grateful to the volunteers who transformed Westside Park into a haven of community fun for our town,” said Oakland Mayor Kathy Stark. “Oakland is proud to be a partner in this KaBOOM! collaborative community project, which gives our children a new place to climb, run, swing, slide and just be kids.”
Since its founding in 1996, KaBOOM! has worked with community partners to build, improve and openmore than 15,000 playgrounds, engage more than 1 million volunteers and serve more than 6.6 million children. KaBOOM! helps create playgrounds, empowers play advocates and elevates awareness about the importance of play in children’s lives.
“Society’s well-being begins with a child’s well-being,” said Darell Hammond, KaBOOM! founder and CEO. “Thanks to the efforts from Disney and the Town of Oakland and the Oakland Nature Preserve, we moved one step closer to giving all kids the joyful childhood they deserve.”
As a key KaBOOM! sponsor, Disney supports the nonprofit’s vision as part of The Magic of Healthy Living, an initiative in partnership with parents to inspire kids to lead healthier lifestyles. The new Westside Park playground is one of dozens made possible with support from Disney, whose support will help bring the magic of play to more than 75,000 kids and families by the end of 2014.
Disney VoluntEARS Strike Gold for Junior Achievement
King Pins and Alley Cats were out in full force this past weekend when more than 5,000 Disney VoluntEARS teamed up to bowl for a cause at the annual Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon. During the three-day event, Disney Cast Members raised approximately $250,000 for Junior Achievement of Central Florida, which will ultimately go toward helping thousands of local children better understand finances and the economy.
Junior Achievement (JA) is a nonprofit organization that provides age-appropriate economic education for children in grades K-12. JA’s programs help students understand financial responsibility by teaching kids ways to earn, save, maintain a budget, manage credit and control their personal finances.
Walt Disney World Resort and its Cast Members have supported JA’s mission for the last 17 years, raising nearly $3.7 million as part of the company’s longstanding commitment to building a better future for Central Florida children.
“JA is so very proud to be working with Disney VoluntEARS again this year,” said Kathy Panter, President of Junior Achievement of Central Florida. “We are humbled by the generosity of time and financial support that we receive from Disney Cast Members through this event and through the volunteer efforts in the classrooms. The success of this event provides funding for nearly 600 JA programs reaching over 12,000 Central Florida students with valuable lessons in financial literacy and workforce readiness.”
In addition to supporting JA’s annual Bowl-A-Thon, Disney VoluntEARS also donate countless hours teaching JA curriculum in Orange and Osceola County schools.
