Media Contacts:
DISNEY STORE TEAMS UP WITH BGCA TO CREATE EARTH DAY MURALS;
ARTWORK CELEBRATES WHAT EARTH DAY MEANS TO KIDS IN THEIR COMMUNITY
Original Artwork Showcased in Disney Store Windows
Nationwide
PASADENA, Calif. -- March 26, 2009 -- Disney Store North
America has launched an Earth Day art project with Boys & Girls Clubs of
America (BGCA) to help kids express what Earth Day means to them. The
children will create 4 by 6 foot murals that will be displayed in Disney
Store windows nationwide beginning April 13, 2009. The program will also
celebrate the relationship between The Walt Disney Company and Boys & Girls
Clubs, which has spanned more than 50 years.
During March 2009, the majority of Disney Stores nationwide will supply
local Boys & Girls Clubs with a variety of art supplies and a lesson plan to
help inspire the children ages six to 18 to decorate an 8 by 12 inch square
made from recycled paper. Each Club will receive approximately 36 squares
ready for images of nature, preservation and conservation and other Earth
Day themes. The artwork will then be collected and assembled as colorful
murals in Disney Store windows.
“The murals are a great way to showcase how kids feel about the earth and
about protecting our environment,” said Molly Adams, vice president general
manager, merchandising and marketing, Disney Stores North America. “We know
the kids will be excited to see their artwork displayed in our windows and
we are proud to help them express to others the importance of protecting the
environment.”
To initiate the program, Disney Store will send Disney VoluntEARS to local
Clubs to work with the children. The kids will also receive a special gift
for participating.
“Boys & Girls Clubs are excited to participate and share the message of
protecting the earth,” said Cyndi Court, executive vice president, BGCA.
“The art project is one more reason to thank Disney for helping support our
organization in the local communities where stores are located.”
The murals will kick off Disney Store’s Earth Day plans leading up to April
22 when Disney Store Guests who bring three empty plastic bottles for
recycling will receive a free reusable water bottle while supplies last.
Other Disney Store Earth
Day activities include a collaboration with Disney Worldwide Conservation to
support the The Nature Conservancy, which will plant one tree for each
specially designed reusable tote bag that has been produced; the bags are
available for purchase at Disney Store locations nationwide. The program
will ultimately replant 96,000 trees in one of the world’s most endangered
rainforests in Brazil.
Additionally, Disney Store will showcase a variety of eco-friendly products,
including tee shirts and tote bags made from recycled plastic water bottles
and other organic materials, refillable stainless water bottles, ceramic
mugs and gifts sets that encourage gardening. These products and activities
will help Disney Store convey to children and adults the benefits of
recycling and promote awareness of the environment.
Earth Day began in 1970 when twenty million people celebrated the first
Earth Day. This event lead to the creation of the EPA and subsequent
enactment of the federal, state and local pollution control laws that
protect the nation’s environment and help safeguard the health of the
American people. Since then it has grown to a worldwide celebration to
develop conservation.
About Disney and Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Disney’s relationship with Boys & Girls Clubs of America has spanned more
than 50 years. As early as 1963, Walt Disney served as an honorary member of
the Board of Directors and did a public service announcement for the “Boys
Club,” the official name of the organization at the time. Since then, Disney
has supported Boys & Girls Clubs in the communities where business
operations are located, primarily in the areas of New York City, Los
Angeles, Anaheim and Orlando. Local support has come in the way of financial
and in-kind donations, sponsoring tables at fundraising events, providing
Disney VoluntEARS and encouraging employees to serve on Club Boards. In
2006, Disney rekindled a national partnership with BGCA by signing on as the
inaugural sponsor of the organization’s Centennial ($1 million), sponsoring
the Join the Club campaign for three years ($2 million plus media and
in-kind), and signing on as one of four sponsors of the Boys & Girls Clubs
Day for Kids (media and in-kind only). Also in 2006, Disney provided $1
million to the rebuilding of 16 Boys & Girls Clubs in the Gulf region that
were damaged or destroyed by the hurricanes.
About Disney Store North America
The Disney Store retail chain is owned and operated in the United States by
Disney Store USA, LLC and in Canada by Disney Store Canada Inc. Disney Store
is an affiliate of Disney Consumer Products, the business segment that
extends the Disney brand to merchandise. Disney Store carries high-quality
products, including exclusive product lines that support and promote
Disney's key entertainment initiatives and characters. In 1987, Disney Store
opened its first store in Glendale, California and, in doing so, originated
the themed retail business model. There are currently more than 200 Disney
Store locations in North America, each offering a magical shopping
experience that can only be delivered by Disney, one of the world’s largest
and most successful entertainment companies.
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