Earlier this year, Disney announced a new initiative and outreach program to benefit children suffering from life threatening illnesses. Over the course of the next five years, The Walt Disney Company will dedicate $100 million in company resources to children and families at children’s hospitals around the globe.
What’s happening:
- As part of Disney’s new Team of Heroes initiative and outreach program, thousands of children (and their families) will be recipients of Disney Hospital Care Packages.
- The Care Packages will be delivered to young patients at children’s hospitals who are suffering from life threatening illnesses.
- To create the Disney Hospital Care Packages, Disney partners with the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) to carefully select products that have been determined to be the most effective in reducing stress and promoting play.
- Starlight Children’s Foundation assists with the assembly and distribution of these special collections of items to more than 445 children’s hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.
Inside a Care Package:
- The Disney Hospital Care Packages are comprised of a broad selection of products that are intended for kids ranging from toddlers to 18 years old and include:
- The latest DVD releases from The Walt Disney Studios,
- Popular toys from Disney Store
- Top titles from Disney Publishing
- Digital products such as:
- Downloadable Apps
- Game Codes
- Video Games
- Music
- Exclusive Downloads
- Rewards Memberships
- They also contain one item that can’t be found anywhere else:
- A Marvel comic book that has been created in partnership with ACLP exclusively for the special care packages. A fifth version of the comic book is currently part of the product assortment and continues to be a unique and in-demand product at recipient children’s hospitals.
- The care packages are designed to bring comfort and a sense of normalcy to children while they are hospitalized, and represent just one of the ways that Disney is leveraging beloved characters and stories to inspire young patients and ease the stress of a hospital stay through the Team of Heroes philanthropy and outreach program.
What they’re saying:
- Elissa Margolis, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Social Responsibility: “The Hospital Care Packages have been a critical part of the work we do for seriously ill children because they allow us to make the greatest impact by reaching children in 445 hospitals across the country. We are thrilled that, this year, we were able to double the value of each package received in order to deliver more opportunities to bring some comfort and joy during their stays in the hospital.”
More about Team of Heroes:
- The Walt Disney Company has helped transform public spaces and play areas at children’s hospitals in the U.S. and in London.
- Disney partnered with Lucasfilm and Starlight Children’s Foundation to host a special Star Wars experience at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco.
- Pixar animators, Mr. Incredible, and Elastigirl visited The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for an “Incredible” day for patients and their families.
