The Walt Disney Co. to Launch the ``Global Celebration of Children''; Celebration to Help Children in Need Is in Honor of the Anniversary of Walt Disney's 100th Birthday.
Business, Entertainment & Lifestyle Editors
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 2001
More Than 100 VoluntEARS Efforts to Be Performed
in Dozens of Countries
Children are at the heart of The Walt Disney Co.'s mission to provide entertainment and joy to families worldwide.
Now, as part of the ``100 Years of Magic'' celebration to honor the anniversary of Walt Disney's 100th birthday, The Walt Disney Co. will commit to helping 100,000 children in need.
From Oct. 5-14, various Disney divisions, including The Walt Disney Studios, Disney Stores, Walt Disney World, Disneyland and ABC-TV will participate in more than 100 volunteer projects in dozens of countries, including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and Venezuela.
The "Global Celebration of Children" is organized by DisneyHAND, The Walt Disney Co.'s corporate service arm.
"I cannot imagine a more appropriate way to commemorate Walt Disney's life than to celebrate the lives of 100,000 children around the world," said Michael Eisner, chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Co.
"Walt Disney once said, `A child is helpless in choosing what is to be engraved on his mind during the formative years. The awesome responsibility is assumed, for better or worse, by us adults. Today we are shapers of the world of tomorrow.' In this spirit, our cast members will be commemorating Walt's birth by reaching out in their communities to help create a better tomorrow for the world's children."
During the two-week period of the "Global Celebration of Children," efforts will include rehabilitation of children centers, charity walks, clothing drives, gardening and beautification projects at schools and care centers, building homes, silent auctions, reading sessions, and children's parties and movie screenings.
Cast members from more than 150 Disney Stores will participate in various activities around the United States, including 5K runs to raise money for children's organizations, restoring a children's playground outside of Chicago, working at a food bank in Baton Rouge, and holding a skating party for children in the Youngstown, Ohio, Make-A-Wish program.
The Walt Disney Co. is a diversified, international family entertainment and media company whose operations include theme parks and resorts, filmed entertainment including motion pictures and television shows, home video products, records, consumer products, a cruise line, radio and television stations, broadcast and cable networks, Internet offerings, publishing activities and professional sports enterprises. Disney owns ABC Inc.
Founded in 1923 by Walter E. Disney and his brother Roy O. Disney, The Walt Disney Co. generated revenues of $25.4 billion in 2000. It employs more than 110,000 people worldwide.
