The Walt Disney Company Volunteers Build Playground for the Boys & Girls Club of...

The Walt Disney Company Volunteers Build Playground for the Boys & Girls Club
of East Los Angeles
The Group is Joined By Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa for a Special Dedication
and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Walt Disney Company's
(NYSE: DIS) President and CEO, Bob Iger, and 150 other Disney VoluntEARS,
including the Company's senior management team, continued their commitment to
give back to local communities and rolled up their sleeves today to build a
new playground for the kids of the Boys and Girls Club of East Los Angeles.
Known as the "freeway club," as it is located between two major highways, this
Club daily serves more than 300 low-income children in the immediate
neighborhood. For this "done in a day" project, hundreds of volunteers from
Disney and the Boys & Girls Club built a playground that was designed with the
help of the children. The project was completed in collaboration with
KaBOOM!, TreePeople and other local community members. The group was later
joined by Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa who participated in a special
dedication ceremony further demonstrating his recognition of the Company's
ongoing commitment to the City of Los Angeles.
(Photo: here )
"Disney has been a proud partner of the Boys and Girls Club for more than
50 years," said Iger. "We are delighted to be working with the Boys & Girls
Club of East Los Angeles to provide neighborhood kids with a wonderful new
playground where they can play and imagine together."
"Safe, clean and creative playgrounds make a world of difference for the
children whose lives are brightened and enriched by these facilities," said
Mayor Villaraigosa. "Thanks to Disney, KaBOOM!, the Boys and Girls Club of
East LA and TreePeople, many young Angelenos will be smiling, laughing and
playing here for many years to come."
Since 2005, Disney has committed more than $7 million to the Boys & Girls
Clubs Of America (BGCA), including a $1 million contribution to the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Anaheim, the single largest gift that organization has received
in its 16-year history, a total of $250,000 to 44 Boys & Girls Clubs in Los
Angeles and Orange Counties and a $1 million gift towards the rebuilding of 16
Boys & Girls Clubs in the Gulf region that were damaged or destroyed by the
hurricanes. Disney's history with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America spans more
than 50 years, beginning when Walt Disney was an honorary member of the
organization's Board of Directors.
The new playground was presented to Anna Arauju, CEO, Boys & Girls Club of
Los Angeles, by Mr. Iger, who was joined by Mayor Villaraigosa, at a special
dedication ceremony immediately following the build.
"To see Disney volunteers from all lines of business, side by side with
our parents, staff and local college students was a moving display of
community spirit," expressed Arauju. "The generosity of The Walt Disney
Company, and the support of KaBOOM! and all of our community members who
donated their time and services, allowed our children to experience how much
people care about them, and that is a priceless gift that can truly change a
life. In light of the very little green space in East L.A., this new
playground will allow our children to play and get exercise in a safe area."
Today's project was Disney's third playground build this year in
collaboration with KaBOOM!. In April, the Boys & Girls Club of Slidell
officially reopened its doors when more than 175 volunteers from Disney, ESPN
and the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana, organizers from KaBOOM!
and residents of the Slidell community joined together to rebuild the Club's
play area, gym and more. In May, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, the hosts of
"Live with Regis and Kelly" (produced by ABC Domestic Television, a subsidiary
of The Walt Disney Company), joined 450 community volunteers in New Orleans to
build a playground for the children of the Charles R. Drew Elementary School.
The school sustained significant flooding and damage from Hurricane Katrina
and serves 600 students.
About Disney's Worldwide Outreach
Disney brightens the lives of children in need around the world through
global outreach programs, local community initiatives and the Disney
VoluntEARS program. Last year, Disney donated more than $177 million in cash
and in-kind support to various charities throughout the world, and Disney
VoluntEARS contributed more than 466,000 hours of service. The Disney
VoluntEARS program provides opportunities for Disney employees to contribute
their time and expertise towards making a positive impact in the communities
they serve while furthering the traditions and ideals of The Walt Disney
Company. For more information on Disney's outreach efforts, please visit
www.DisneyOutreach.com.
About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place
to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995,
KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together
business and community interests to construct more than 1,300 new playgrounds,
skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also
offers a variety of resources, including online community, regional and
national trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for
Play, which includes Playful City USA and the Playmaker Network -- a national
network of individual advocates for play. Headquartered in Washington, D.C.,
KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago, Atlanta and San Mateo, CA. For more
information, visit www.kaboom.org.
SOURCE Disney's Worldwide Outreach

Andrea Rausa of The Walt Disney Company, +1-818-567-5941,
Andrea.Rausa@disney.com; or Mike Vietti of KaBOOM!, +1-202-327-0086,
MVietti@kaboom.org; or Anna Arauju of Boys & Girls Club of East Los Angeles,
+1-323-263-4955, alabg@yahoo.com