Walt Disney World hosts Millennium Dreamers
Actor Christopher Reeve, Astronaut Sally Ride, Newscaster Jack Ford To Honor Outstanding Youth as McDonald's and Disney Celebrate 2,000 Millennium Dreamers From Around the World
Actor Christopher Reeve, astronaut Sally Ride and television newsman Jack Ford join a list of famous personalities, children's advocates, scientists, teachers and world dignitaries who will honor 2,000 inspiring young people from around the world May 8-10 at Walt Disney World Resort.
The 8-to-15-year-old youngsters from nearly 90 countries were named "Millennium Dreamers Ambassadors" by McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) and The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) for making a difference in their communities. The recognition program was launched in the fall of 1999 in association with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
Reeve, an inspiration himself since a 1995 fall from a horse left him paralyzed, will be the keynote speaker at the official recognition ceremony for the Millennium Dreamers Ambassadors Tuesday, May 9 at Epcot.
Jack Ford, an ABC-TV News anchor and "20/20" program correspondent, will moderate a symposium featuring panelists comprised of Millennium Dreamers Ambassadors and renowned children's advocates from around the world. Titled the "Power of One," the symposium will address what inspires children to take action. Panel members include:
- Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space
- LeVar Burton, actor and host of Reading Rainbow on PBS
- Dr. Edwige Antier, noted pediatrician/psychologist
- Dr. Cheick Diarra, NASA interplanetary navigator
- Teri Lindner, 1999 American Teacher of the Year
- Dr. Federico Mayor, former UNESCO Director-General
- Zulfu Livaneli, Turkish singer/composer, human-rights activist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
- Alan Khazei, co-founder and CEO of City Year, an "action tank" for national service
- Dr. Colin Power, former UNESCO Deputy Director-General for Education
While attending the three-day global youth summit, the Millennium Dreamers Ambassadors will have an opportunity to share ideas and world cultures while residing in a "global village" environment, participating in educational seminars and enjoying the fun and excitement of the Walt Disney World Resort.
The 2,000 youthful Ambassadors were selected by an independent panel of judges on specific criteria that included creativity, inspirational value and impact on the community. Some examples:
- A 10-year-old Florida girl cuts her beautiful hair to be sewn into "Locks of Love" wigs for children with medical hair loss.
- A 14-year-old Kansas girl invented large "Braille blocks" to help sight-impaired young children learn.
- A boy from Kuwait, moved by a truck collision with a bridge overpass, invented a bridge/truck alarm that sounds if the truck container is too high to pass under the bridge.
- A girl from Mexico uses her spare time to teach incarcerated
drug addicts how to read.
-- Posted: May 3, 2000
Source: Company Press release