If you’re in the Disneyland neighborhood this Friday, you can make a difference in the life of a child and help honor one of Disneyland’s true legends. The Innocence Mission, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of child sexual abuse, has announced its inaugural “Guardian of Childhood” award recipient, Jack Lindquist. Lindquist is a former president of Disneyland and his career spanned 38 years with the Walt Disney Company. He was a key figure in Disney’s growth and development over four decades.
“We are honored to recognize Jack for his lifetime of work, which has been dedicated to celebrating the wonder and innocence of childhood,” said The Innocence Mission Founder and CEO Elaina J. Kroll. “For me, growing up, and for so many countless others, Disneyland was a magical place where we were surrounded by happiness, joy, and love. It is a place deeply connected to childhood imagination and innocence,” Kroll said. “It is our goal at The Innocence Mission to protect and celebrate that innocence throughout society. Jack’s work with Walt Disney and the Disney Company is an invaluable contribution toward that goal.”
Lindquist joined Disney in 1955 as part of the original Disneyland management team. Over the course of four decades he was involved in virtually all aspects of Disney’s theme park operations and in the shaping of the Disney identity on a global scale.
“I am delighted and honored to receive this award,” Lindquist said. “There was never anything more import to Walt, or to the vision he had for Disneyland, than the celebration of the innocence and imagination of childhood. I will accept the Guardian of Childhood award in that spirit, and on behalf of cast members around the world who have shared, and continue to share, in Walt’s vision, legacy and mission.”
Lindquist will be presented with the Guardian of Childhood award at the
Innocence Mission’s inaugural World of Wonderment Gala on December 4th at the Disneyland Grand Californian Resort. Attendees will include a broad range of community activists, business leaders, lawmakers from the federal and local level, law enforcement officials, and representative of the religious community. Tickets for the Gala are available online at The Innocence Mission’s website, and are tax-deductible.