As an East Coast seaboard resident I can honestly say nor’easters and hurricanes are a part of our lives. Here in Virginia when I hear of a tropical storm brewing down in the Caribbean I start making sure our emergency kit is prepared. As the storm starts getting closer to Florida I start stocking the cabinets, and by the time it’s at the South Carolina border the yard is being secured because it’s not that the wind is blowing, it’s WHAT the wind is blowing that matters. The last few years I have also added, “translating the weather man and the scare tactic hype” to the military wives I know that are from the mid-west and have never been in a hurricane/tropical storm/nor’easter. I have lived through 30+ hurricane seasons, which include some that seriously affected the Hampton Roads region like Floyd and Isabelle. However, to be perfectly honest, other than Katrina, I have NEVER seen such a destructive hurricane as Sandy was this October. As images of the Northeast started to show up on Facebook that weekend, I was in awe of the power of this storm, and scared for the people in the North who usually don’t see hurricanes. Over the last few days, I am sure you have seen the info on this, but I wanted to take a moment and ensure you knew just how awesome the Disney family was in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy. 
On November 5th the Disney family held a fundraiser to raise funds for those effected by Hurricane Sandy. Teaming up with the Red Cross, many big names came together to help raise money for Hurricane Sandy victims. The name of this amazing event was “The Day of Giving” and it involved a $2 million donation from Disney with one half of the donation going to the Red Cross to use in immediate cleanup and aid efforts in effected areas while the other half went to other groups’ rebuilding efforts. A $3 million dollar donation from partner Samsung was also donated to the cause. But, the biggest part of the event was the money raised. At 7am the kick off for “The Day of Giving” occurred on Good Morning America, which had Barbara Walters, Brian Ross and Bianna Golodryga working the donation lines. Through out the day on ABC victims and groups were interviewed, while stars and companies made matching donations and shared messages of support and love. The likes of the “Jersey Shore” cast, Katie Couric, the Broadway cast of “Jersey Boys” performed and helped answer phones. By 11am when “The View” took over 4.7 million had been raised, and by the end of “The View” which included a special appearance by Grover $5.3 million was raised. Throughout the rest of the day, money was raised via phone (which included some awesome Volunt-EARS from Disney World) and Internet pledges more than $16.8 million was raised.
As a pet owner this story that just came out truly touched me though. As most of us know Disney is a huge supporter of wildlife conservation and has it’s own group dedicated to just that. The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund allows Disney to “protect the planet for future generations and help kids develop lifelong conservation values” through donations and hands on projects. The DWCF also ties in with Disney’s research and animal programs that help us not only better understand the other animals on this planet but also help ensure those animals will still be with us through by participating in cooperative breeding programs. Usually when I think of the DWCF I think of the buttons you can receive at Animal Kingdom by donating a dollar in the gift store, or the when watching one of those wonderful heart tugging Disney Nature films. What most people don’t realize is the DWCF doesn’t just donate and protect wild animals, they also focus on the needs of domestic animals as well. In response to the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy the DWCF granted $250,000 to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), a group that is currently helping animals affected by Hurricane Sandy. 
To give to the American Red Cross and help victims of Hurricane Sandy, you can click here. A great way to donate to the DWCF on your next visit to Walt Disney World you can make a direct donation in the parks by buying those great buttons or by taking certain tours, like Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom because Disney donates money for every participant on those tours. If you would like to make a donation directly to the International Fund for Animal Welfare to help their efforts in aiding displace pets please visit their site at http://tinyurl.com/cx6etyf .
