Disney donates $1M to rebuild Boys and Girls Clubs destroyed by Katrina

[Deb in IA]

And another $500,000 to rebuild the Boys and Girls Club in Pass Christian, MS, the hometown of Robin Roberts, of Good Morning America.

 

[In a hurry]

Thumbs up for Disney! Boys and Girls Clubs are great organizations.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Thanks for the heads up. I am so glad to see some of our Disney spending to go to such a worthy cause, here in our little town.

 

[Deb in IA]

Second Chance for Boys and Girls Clubs
Disney Gave Clubs Total of $1.5 Million
Tom Staggs, Disney's chief financial officer, presented the Boys and Girls clubs with a $1 million check to rebuild the 17 Gulf Coast facilities. (ABC News)

'GMA'
April 5, 2006— Hurricane Katrina not only destroyed homes, businesses and schools, but it also severely damaged 17 Boys and Girls clubs on the Gulf Coast, robbing children of important after-school activities.

"This hurricane affected me and my Boys and Girls Club a lot," said Michelle Defraites, 12. "Katrina flooded my house and ruined my first floor. It also damaged my Boys and Girls Club because it isn't there anymore."

More than 4 million children belong to more than 3,700 Boys and Girls clubs nationwide. One of those Boys and Girls Club members is Gulfport, Miss., native Jarvis McInnis, winner of the National Youth of the Year award.

"They've had a wonderful impact on my life," said McInnis, a freshman English major at Tougaloo College who hopes to become president of the United States someday. "They instill in us so many different things — perseverance, good sportsmanship. It really is my second family."

After Katrina, it looked like the Boys and Girls clubs in the Gulf Coast would not recover, and children worried about where they would go to play.

"During Katrina, I couldn't play there and I couldn't go there … couldn't listen to music and didn't get to see all my friends that were there," said Montika Johnson, 10. "I like the Boys and Girls Club because it is fun and you can do a lot of things. I want it to come back because I'm used to it and it's fun being there."


Personal Ties

ABC News has a significant tie to the area — "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts is from Pass Christian, Miss.

With Mickey Mouse and a cake in tow, she traveled to Biloxi, Miss., to celebrate National Boys and Girls clubs week and the 100th anniversary of the clubs. Tom Staggs, the chief financial officer of Disney, the parent company of ABC News, joined the celebration and presented the Boys and Girls clubs with a check for $1 million to rebuild the 17 Gulf Coast clubs.

"Our clubs all along the Gulf Coast region and thousands of young people they serve are going to benefit," said Roxanne Spillett, president of the Boys and Girls clubs. "We're so grateful to Disney, 'Good Morning America,' and to you, Robin."

Staggs also presented a check for $500,000 to the Pass Christian Boys and Girls Club, which was co-founded by Roberts' parents.

"This means we can start our building again and go back to the location where we were," said Gwen Voigts, a community leader in Pass Christian. "We were centrally located for all the kids. It's just going to be wonderful."

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Katrina/story?id=1808176

 

[In a hurry]

Thanks for the heads up. I am so glad to see some of our Disney spending to go to such a worthy cause, here in our little town.

Hmmmm! That kind of makes going to Disney...a charitable effort! I like that!

 

[ead79]

Great job Disney!