Inspiring Kids and Communities

INSPIRING COMMUNITIES

Disney takes an active role in our local communities through our direct giving, volunteering and community collaboration. We also encourage others to volunteer by providing inspiration, resources and incentives.

Media Networks

ABC inspires viewers to give back to their communities through the A Better Community public service campaign. The comprehensive campaign, which features public service announcements, an online presence and special programming, utilizes the biggest names in television to inspire viewers to build a better community by volunteering.

In addition, in 2010, ABC, ABC Family, Disney Channel and SOAPnet joined the Entertainment Industry Foundation and other major broadcast and cable networks for iParticipate – an industry-wide initiative designed to shine the spotlight on volunteerism utilizing pop culture messaging and special events. Almost 30 Disney/ABC Television Group (DATG) programs incorporated messages about volunteerism into episodes and public service announcements that aired during an unprecedented week of pro-social television. DATG talent, employees and fans also teamed up with City Year in New York and Los Angeles to refurbish schools and brought joy to our troops with help from Operation Gratitude.

ABC Family's hit series Greek collaborated with the nonprofit organization DoSomething.org to inspire its millennial audience to make a commitment to take action in their communities. The campaign, "Pledge Yourself to Do Something," featured cast members from Greek participating in various activities in support of each of the featured charities. ABC Family encourages volunteering with public service announcements and a "Take Action" page on ABCFamily.com.

Disney Channel and Disney XD's Express Yourself is a short-form series designed to reach kids age 6-14 with a wide array of relevant messages, including those that address feelings of fear and anxiety caused by world events. After the Haiti earthquake, Express Yourself aired a 60-second interstitial featuring the message, "Join the world as we shine a light on Haiti," emphasizing themes of connection, empowerment, compassion, outreach and being a part of a global community.

Among ESPN's many goodwill initiatives in 2010, the Winter X Games team produced a special PSA with X Games athletes to raise funds for the children of Haiti. During Veterans Week, its U.S. multimedia entities ran messaging and poignant sports-related stories focusing on the U.S. military and veterans. The series entitled "Salute to our Heroes" culminated with special SportsCenter editions live from U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr Parade Field in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

The 10 ABC-owned television stations are all champions of their communities, heightening awareness of local needs and inspiring viewers to take action. The stations often rally support for important local needs through public service announcements and special programming featuring community leaders, station representatives and others. The stations also actively lead food and clothing drives; health, safety and education campaigns; fundraising efforts; and other worthy causes throughout the year. To learn more about their work, visit the feature story.

Disney Parks & Resorts

In 2010, Disney Parks offered an exciting incentive with its "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" campaign. To celebrate the good deeds of our participating guests, Disney Parks offered each volunteer who completed an eligible volunteer project free one-day admission to a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort.

In just over two months, Disney Parks reached its goal of inspiring 1 million guests to sign up to make a difference in their communities through the spirit of volunteerism. We heard many stories of families volunteering together, of new volunteers participating for the first time, and of increased support for local organizations.