Disney Vacation Club continues to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. At a recent exclusive performance of Disney’s hit Broadway musical Aladdin for DVC members, the Genie stepped outside his standard three-wish limit to grant a special wish for children who are battling life-threatening illnesses in their lives.
Disney Vacation Club Senior Vice President and General Manager Ken Potrock together with an unforgettable friend and magic maker, Genie, played by Tony Award-winning actor James Monroe Iglehart, surprised audience members on stage to announce that Disney Vacation Club is contributing $25,000 to Make-A-Wish – a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
“Wishes are granted every night at Aladdin,” said Potrock. “For more than three decades, Disney and Make-A-Wish America have also joined together to grant thousands of wishes. And, in honor of 25 magical years of Disney Vacation Club, we’re proud to continue our support of granting wishes, giving children the emotional and physical support to fight their illness,” said Potrock.
The donation was presented as part of Disney Vacation Club’s 25th Anniversary following the performance of Aladdin in front of an audience full of Disney Vacation Club Members and some friends and families from Make-A-Wish.
“We are honored to have Disney Vacation Club, as part of their 25th Anniversary, recognize the importance wishes play in the lives of wish kids and their families,” said David Williams, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “Disney’s continued support gets us closer to our vision of granting the wish of every eligible child.”
Did you know that about half of all Make-A-Wish wishes are for a Walt Disney World vacation for themselves and their family. This is a popular wish because children dealing with life threatening illnesses can share it with their siblings and parents.
Make-A-Wish and The Walt Disney Company have granted more than 100,000 Disney-related wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses for more than 35 years. Disney-themed wishes have included magical experiences at the Disney theme parks, voyages aboard Disney Cruise Line and even special backstage visits to television and movie sets. Annually, Disney contributes more than $15 million to Make-A-Wish in charitable cash giving, in-kind and product contributions.