Children across America won’t have to wish upon a star to get a day pass to a Disney theme park this year. Instead, they can try to help fulfill the wish lists of those in need and walk away with a pass, courtesy of Disney.
Disney’s new program – Give a Day, Get a Day – aims to help the 60 percent of Americans who reportedly hope to volunteer in 2010 to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions. The corporation is doing this through partnerships with countless nonprofit organizations nationwide.
Disney hopes to inspire at least one million Americans to volunteer a day of service to participating organizations in their communities. Participants can search the Disney program’s website for volunteer opportunities in their neighborhoods that inspire them. Then, they register for a day of service to redeem a free ticket to a Disneyland or Disney World resort.
When searching for a local organization, participants can limit their search to charities that accept volunteers under the age of 18. The corporation aspires to instill a spirit of volunteerism in America’s youth. It also hopes to enable children who might not otherwise have the chance to visit a Disney park to do so.
Through this initiative, Disney is helping to promote dozens of charitable organizations. New groups join the cause daily and boast a range of outreach issues – from education and technology to seniors and elder care.
Many nonprofits are already feeling the impact of the program. Debbie Nowak’s nonprofit, 1,000 Islands Environmental Center, was one of the first organizations to get on board.
She said her organization is always looking for ways to find volunteers, but she had no idea the Disney partnership would bring such a rapid and major response. "It has been just a tremendous response, almost to the point where I’m scrambling trying to keep everybody busy," she told Fox News.
With such a strong volunteer showing and the year just beginning, Disney stands to signifcantly boost volunteerism for 2010. 