For years, many have been familiar with the term, “I’m going to Disneyland.” It’s been a staple advertising slogan for The Walt Disney Company since 1987, and was proudly stated on air by winning NFL players from Superbowl XXI through XXXIX. Catchy and enthusiastic, the phrase has more than likely been repeated by eager children and adults seeking to enjoy a place that is just, well, enjoyable.
Since 1980, the Make-a-Wish Foundation has been granting the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses from all walks of life, by sending them to both the Anaheim theme park and Disneyworld in Orlando, FL. According to the organization’s website Wish.org, their first official wish came from Frank “Bopsy” Salazar, who wished to go to Disneyland.
When You Wish Upon A Star
A quarter of a century later, the foundation still receives a large amount of requests from their wish children that are Disney oriented, with up to 45 percent hoping to visit one of the theme parks, go on a Disney cruise, meet Disney executive Roy E. Disney, see the premiere of a High School Musical production, or just simply experience the excitement of a movie set. The Make-a-Wish Foundation provides solace in the midst of sadness, and has evolved from its modest beginnings into an institution capable of granting a terminally ill child’s wish every 40 minutes. Years after this partnership of charity between the Make-a-Wish Foundation and Disney was begun, Pixar, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company since 2006, has continued the tradition.
A 10-year-old girl named Colby Curtin, who had been diagnosed with vascular cancer in 2005, had seen an advertisement for Pixar’s summer release Up. Colby expressed to her mother a desire to see Up but by the time of the film’s release, was too weak to be transported to a public movie theater. It was apparent to Colby’s family that the girl didn’t have long to live, and her mother wanted nothing more than to grant her daughter this dying wish. A family friend cold called the Pixar offices, and received a reaction of sympathy and good will from the Emeryville, CA company on June 10, 2009. According to the Orange County Register, “the company flew an employee with a DVD of Up, which was only in theaters, to the Curtin’s Huntington Beach (CA) home for a private viewing of the movie.” Pixar has chosen to keep the identities of those involved in this gesture anonymous, and when approached by the Orange County Register also declined to comment on the story as a whole.
Life Imitates Art
Pixar.com summarizes Up as being the story of “Carl Frederickson, a 78-year-old curmudgeonly balloon salesman. When he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America, he finally fulfills his lifelong dream of adventure.” Prior to those incidents in the film, Frederickson had been coping with the loss of his wife in old age. Colby Curtin passed away 7 hours after seeing the movie. Prior to viewing Up with her daughter, Lisa Curtin was unaware of the premise of the film. The events that shaped Colby’s last days have provoked Lisa to attach a deeper meaning to the connection between her daughter's short life and the animated film.
Disney-Pixar has the clout and financial capability to lend aid to people in need. Being a treasured source of American entertainment, they have also created rich stories with memorable characters that have inspired both adults and children. Box office sales and theme park visitor counts remark upon this effect in numbers, but the more human accounts, such as the gifts given to Colby Curtin and the countless Make-a-Wish Foundation children, truly convey the attributes of one of the most powerful business entities in the world.
 |
