Teri E. Steva-Shimizu

There’s a great ad campaign out there called "Give a day...Get a Disney Day." The commercial includes celebrities like James Denton, Teri Hatcher, Taye Diggs, Kermit the Frog and of course Miss Piggy. They tell you how you can volunteer to lend a hand and earn a free day at Disneyland.

Disney Corporation, along with HandsOn Network on January 1, 2010, started a program to encourage people from the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada to volunteer a day for community service and receive a Disneyland day at no cost. The goal Disney set was to inspire one million people to help their communities by donating their time to children, economic causes or environmental concerns. Disney's 1 million volunteer's goal was met by March 9, 2010; the program was an overwhelming success.

Disney worked with a volunteer program called the HandsOn Network, the nation's largest volunteer network; which “inspires, equips and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world." Disney Corporation has become a leader in establishing programs to help others; such as the programs launched over the last year "Friends for Change” a collaboration with First lady Michelle Obama for a healthier generation and the donation to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

These programs are just the tip of the iceberg for the social responsibility that Disney has prided itself in believing and delivering. It is a good fit to the Disney culture.

What do you think; is Disney doing these programs just for the business or because it truly wants to be socially responsible and ethical in what they are involved in?

Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal