Recently, a local Florida high school was affected by a devastating fire that damaged band equipment, rehearsal space, and students’ personal instruments.
The Central Florida community came together with overwhelming and outstanding support to help the students of East Ridge High School through this unexpected and unfortunate event. But the Florida community wasn’t the only ones to lend a helping hand.
The Walt Disney World Resort announced on September 13, 2019 that they would donate $20,000 to East Ridge High School in order to help the marching band and the other students. This donation will contribute to brand new band equipment and instruments, which will allow the students’ dreams of restoring and pursing their band program become a reality.
Rena Langley, senior vice president of public affairs at Walt Disney World Resort, stated “When we heard the news, we knew we needed to offer our support to East Ridge High School and help make the students’ dream of restoring the band program come true.”
“We have been so inspired by the community response and are delighted to be part of making a difference,” Langley continued.
Music and arts programs are near and dear to the Walt Disney Company as these programs offer students a sense of creativty, teamwork, and the chance to let their spirits roam free. Several children feel they don’t have a safe space to let their true personalities shine, and that is what many music and arts programs do for students all around the world.
The Walt Disney World Resort has a long-standing history of supporting programs like these in Central Florida. They love to encourage the youth and allow them to step into the spotlight by exploring their passions for the arts.
Diane Kornegay, Lake County Schools superintendent, said “We are so thankful to Walt Disney World Resort for this incredible gift for our students. To see a company of this magnitude come to the aid of students at a time of loss is truly touching. It will make a lasting difference for these young musicians and the overall band program at East Ridge High School.”
Not only did the Walt Disney World resort make a generous donation to help the East Ride High School rebuild their band program, but they also invested more than $1 million in the local arts community in 2019 alone. The Walt Disney World Resort has donated more than $6 million to the arts programs in the last five years.
Source: Disney