Disney Recruits 1 Million Volunteers With Dynamic Campaign

Disney...what a magical word! Disney and mouse ears are as iconic as anything can be in American culture. And the brand has always been associated with good feelings and family fun.

Recently, Disney and the HandsOn Network ran a months-long campaign to encourage volunteerism. I was especially in love with the campaign because its lovely ads were shown on this website. Being in sync with my topic, those ads drove out all the marginally irrelevant ones for a long time. Utter bliss!

The campaign is over now, but not forgotten. Since the program started just 10 weeks ago, on Jan. 1, a million people have volunteered or have committed to volunteer in their communities. "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" was a smashing success by anyone's standards. Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said, "By any measure, the 'Give a Day, Get a Disney Day' program exceeded our expectations. These one million volunteers touched their communities with their hearts and hands. Their commitment to service is truly worth celebrating, and there's no better place to celebrate than at Disney Parks."

To celebrate the good deeds of all those volunteers, Disney Parks offered each volunteer who completed an eligible project a free one-day admission to one theme park in Walt Disney World Resort in Florida or Disneyland Resort in California. Although registration is now closed and the program has ended, those who volunteered have until Dec. 15, 2010, to redeem their free park ticket.

The Disney culture has long encompassed volunteerism. Through Disney VoluntEARS, cast members have been giving back to communities for more than a quarter century. More than 5.5 million hours of volunteer service worldwide have been donated in this way. "Give a Day" was just an extension of that tradition.

Disney's partner in volunteerism, the HandsOn Network, applauded Disney's efforts. "The innovative nature of this program has exponentially increased our capacity to both invite and excite people about volunteerism," said Michelle Nunn, co-founder of HandsOn Network and CEO of Points of Lights Institute. "The overwhelming participation of families - and youth especially - is a testament to a growing trend. Many of these volunteers are serving for the first time, and some will develop into service leaders who help change the face of our nation."

Neighborhoods in need were the big beneficiaries of "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" - from San Juan to San Diego, Vero Beach to Vancouver.

• In Puerto Rico, 500 volunteers cleaned the beaches of Vaciatalega and La Perla located in the vicinity of Old San Juan. In Oakville, Ontario, a neighborhood center got new shelving and a spruced-up mural.

• In Boston, volunteers served meals to people in need, knitted and crocheted scarves and mittens for children afflicted with life-threatening illnesses and helped as caregivers at an animal adoption center. In California, San Francisco Bay-area volunteers helped with basic English lessons, painted park benches and planted flowers.

• In Jacksonville, Fla., volunteers painted murals and spruced up rooms at a home for women and children, while in Pittsburgh they took on construction tasks - tiling, sanding, staining and painting - to help create affordable housing.

Ears off...er, hats off to Disney for its terrific and memorable contribution to volunteerism.

Photo: Disney volunteers pose with Mr. Big Ears himself (courtesy of Disney).