Disney Parks has reached its goal of inspiring one-million people to volunteer in their communities.
The theme park and media giant announced this week that registration has closed on its “Give a Day/Get a Disney Day” program. Since the program’s launch on January 1, a million people in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico have already volunteered or have committed to volunteer in their communities.
In exchange, each volunteer who completes an eligible project receives a free one-day admission to either Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California. Program participants — or VoluntEARS, in Disney jargon — will have until Dec. 15, 2010, to redeem their free park ticket.
“By any measure, the ‘Give a Day/Get a Disney Day’ program exceeded our expectations,” said Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Tom Staggs. “These one-million volunteers touched their communities with their hearts and hands.”
In the U.S., the Give a Day program was co-ordinated by Disney Parks in co-operation with the HandsOn Network. Here in Canada, the program was facilitated by Volunteer Canada.
“The overwhelming participation of families — and youth especially — is a testament to a growing trend,” said Michelle Nunn, co-founder of HandsOn Network and CEO of the Points of Light Institute. “Many of these volunteers are serving for the first time.”
To date, the acts of volunteerism are as varied as the rides in Magic Kingdom. In Puerto Rico, 500 people teamed up to clean up the beaches of Vaciatalega and La Perla. In Boston, volunteers knitted scarves and mittens for children with life-threatening illnesses. And in Oakville, Ont., a neighbourhood centre received new shelving and a mural makeover.
Although the Disney Give a Day program has officially ended, the need for volunteers is still out there. Individuals interested in learning more about opportunities in Canada can do so through govolunteer.ca, or by contacting the volunteer centre in their community. Find a need and fill it.
