Disney Fields Days! Brings Magic and Fun to Young Students Who Lost Their Schools in L.A. Fires
In difficult times, a little happiness can go a long way.
Disney recently committed $15 million for relief and rebuilding efforts in L.A. and Altadena in response to the devastating L.A. wildfires. As part of our ongoing support, we brought a little Disney magic to two schools in Brentwood—Nora Sterry Elementary and Brentwood Science Magnet—that admirably took in students who lost their own schools during the Palisades fire.
We call our events “Disney Field Days,” essentially fun-filled carnivals with characters, games, activities, music, dance and more—everything that makes a day at a Disney park so special.
Across two separate days, more than 900 students attended with the support of dozens of Disney cast members and Disney VoluntEARS. Disney stories from Princess, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and more came to life as kids got to meet their heroes and just have fun.
We loved seeing students and faculty dressed in their Disney best, donning Mickey Mouse ear headbands and t-shirts with their favorite characters. From an epic grand finale dance party led by Stitch to surprise appearances from Disney talent, including Dara Reneé and Joshua Colley from Descendants: The Rise of Red, and stars of the Zombies franchise Meg Donnelly and Trevor Tordjman, it was a joyful day from beginning to end.
Disney Aids L.A. Fires Victims with Surprise, Sentimental Items
At Brentwood Science Magnet, we also created some extra magic for two people who lost special items in the fires.
Young Student Is Reunited with a New Old Friend—A Giant Tiger Stuffy
While eight-year-old Felicity Dale was able to save her Mickey Mouse plush toy, she had to leave behind her beloved giant stuffed tiger when her family lost their home to the Palisades fire.
Upon hearing this story, we decided to create some extra magic for Felicity, setting out to reunite her with her favorite stuffy. After a brief detour around Disney’s Animal Kingdom to meet a new friend (baby Bakso, our newest tiger) he found a new home with young Felicity.
Rebuilding a Teacher’s Decades’ Worth Collection of Mickey Ears
Elizabeth Lam, a teacher at Palisades Charter Elementary School and avid Disney fan, lost her Disney-themed classroom in the Palisades fire, including her collection of Mickey Mouse ears. We helped kickstart an all-new collection for her with more than 50 ear hats gathered from our Disney stores, parks and our amazing Disney VoluntEARS.
In addition to Disney Field Days, we are continuing to support the community in various ways, including donation drives, LA Strong t-shirt sales and more. Stay tuned as we’ll continue to share here all the ways in which we’re planning to rebuild and support the communities we call home!