Disney Parks to donate up to $1 million to Make-A-Wish

BURBANK, Calif., Dec. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Building on the success of 2016’s global campaign, Disney fans and Make-A-Wish(R) supporters looking to share the joy this holiday season can once again join Disney Parks and Make-A-Wish and Share Your Ears to help make wishes come true for children with critical illnesses.

Disney and Make-A-Wish fans around the world can make a difference by unlocking a donation with a simple photo and hashtag. Disney Parks will donate $5 to Make-A-Wish, up to a total of $1 million, for each photo taken and shared featuring Mickey Mouse Ears — or any creative “ears” at all — with the hashtag #ShareYourEars. Photos can be uploaded to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram between now and December 25, 2017.

“We love to make magic every day at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts across the world. It’s especially meaningful when we get to work with Make-A-Wish to bring happiness to people when they need it most,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Last year, we were thrilled that millions of our fans joined us in support of this great work through Share Your Ears, and we couldn’t think of a better way to share the joy this holiday season than by inviting them to do it again.”

Multiplatinum recording artist and television personality Nick Lachey made the announcement during the broadcast of “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” on the ABC Television Network. Sporting a pair of classic Mickey Mouse Ears, Lachey took a selfie in front of the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and invited fans to join him in displaying their ears.

The first #ShareYourEars in February 2016 became a viral sensation globally. In celebration of the 60(th) Anniversary of Disneyland and the 100,000(th) wish fulfilled by Disney and Make-A-Wish, millions of fans from around the world shared their ears online, demonstrating their support for wish-granting and an incomparable sense of creativity. Based on the overwhelming fan response, Disney doubled its original $1 million donation to $2 million.

Nearly 9,000 Disney-related wishes are granted worldwide every year — including experiences at Disney theme parks, voyages on Disney Cruise Line, meetings with Disney characters and visits to TV and movie sets — making Disney the most popular request by Make-A-Wish children.

“We are thrilled to dust off our ears once again to celebrate the imagination and creativity of our wish children and supporters through Share Your Ears! Since the very beginning of Make-A-Wish, Disney has provided our wish children with life-changing wish experiences — bringing them renewed energy and strength, and uniting their families and communities,” said David Williams, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. Jon Stettner, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish International added, “We are so grateful to Disney, and its guests and fans worldwide, for their ongoing support. Last year, the campaign sparked a global community to come together in a fun celebration of wishes — and we couldn’t be more grateful to our friends at Disney for hosting year two of this incredible campaign!”

For more information, visit www.ShareYourEars.org.

ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH(R)

Make-A-Wish(R) grants the wishes of children with critical illnesses to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s largest wish-granting organization, serving children in more than 50 countries on five continents. With the help of generous donors and more than 40,000 volunteers worldwide, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the world every 17 minutes on average. Since 1980, it has granted more than 415,000 wishes to children around the world. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org and for more information about Make-A-Wish International, visit worldwish.org.

ABOUT WALT DISNEY PARKS AND RESORTS

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts are where dreams come true. More than sixty years ago, Walt Disney created a new kind of entertainment families could experience together, immersed in detailed atmospheres and vibrant storytelling. His vision now includes a collection of six of the world’s leading family vacation destinations — Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, Calif.; Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.; Tokyo Disney Resort, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan; Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallée, France; Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, located on Lantau Island; and Shanghai Disney Resort, Pudong New District, Shanghai, China. In addition, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts includes the world-class Disney Cruise Line; Disney Vacation Club; Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa; Adventures by Disney, a guided group vacation experience to some of the world’s most popular destinations; and Walt Disney Imagineering, which creates and designs all Disney parks, resorts and attractions.