Matt Ouimet and a Roundup of Community Leaders
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The stage lights came up as Matt Ouimet walked to the center and said, “I don’t know how to follow that.�? On a personal note, he spoke of the privilege it was to hand over the million dollar check to the Boys and Girls Club. It was, he pointed out, the largest single donation the organization had ever received. (He added that there was a good possibility of bookending the celebration with a similar bequest to another worthy organization.) In addition to the one million dollar gift, he went on, the Boys and Girls Club had also benefited from an additional ten million dollars in cash, in kind gifts, and volunteer hours from Disneyland.
Mentioning the volunteer hours prompted Matt to say, “I am so proud of the cast.�? He added that this was especially true during the holidays. While guests were enjoying eight tiny reindeer in Big Thunder Ranch and snow on Main Street USA, the cast was collecting toys, walking to benefit good causes, and decorating floats for the Rose Parade.
Changing gears a bit, Matt next promised that a very special guest would soon be joining the event. This guest, he promised, had come all the way from Washington DC. The screen was the filled with a video clip of President George W. Bush, offering his annual pardon of the national Thanksgiving turkey.
After mentioning that the bird would be spending the rest of its natural life in Disneyland, the screen filled with a medley of images, detailing the extensive media coverage. As a final clip of the President’s full pardon played out, a scroll on the right side of the screen gave an extensive list of all the outlets that had covered the successful promotion.
Finally, a heroic image of the turkey, backed by an American flag, filled the screen.
As the crowd applauded, Hail to the Chief played and two “Secret Service�? agents darted onto the stage, and after a quick scan, pulled back the drapes to admit a specially designed Plexiglas case, holding Marshmallow the turkey.
It was, Matt concluded, the single biggest media event in Disneyland’s 50 year history. (He added that he was sorry Jack Lindquist was unable to attend, as he was sure the former Disneyland President would have loved all the hoopla.)
As he mentioned that Marshmallow (or stand-in Yam) had been Grand Marshall of the Disneyland Thanksgiving Day parade, he momentarily cracked up. “Last year it was dogs,�? he mused. “I’m not working with animals again!�? (Last year’s presentation included a memorable appearance by the dogs featured in a Disneyland TV spot.)