Shanghai, June 1, 2021 – In celebration of International Children’s Day and the Fifth Anniversary of Shanghai Disney Resort, The Walt Disney Company China and Shanghai Disney Resort today announced a new donation to fund a five-year “National Pediatric Social Work Training Program.” The program is an extension of the five-year Children’s Hospital Project that Disney first announced in 2016 commemorating the Grand Opening of Shanghai Disney Resort, which developed dozens of themed play rooms in children’s hospitals across China – bringing magic and happiness to children in need and their families.
A donation ceremony was held at the space-themed Disney Fun House at National Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine this morning, with leadership from The Walt Disney Company China, Shanghai Disney Resort, Shanghai Children’s Foundation, National Children’s Medical Centers and representatives from children’s hospitals under the National Children’s Medical Center Alliance for Social Work and Philanthropy in attendance.
“Since day one, we have been committed to bringing happiness to children in need and their families,” said Joe Schott, President and General Manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. “Following our five-year hospital project that started before our opening, the ‘Five-Year National Pediatric Social Work Training Program,’ launched in our milestone Fifth Anniversary year, will continue our commitment, further supporting even more children through the promotion of new social psychological support concepts that will help transform children’s healthcare.”
The RMB 2 million donation for this program will be administered by the Shanghai Children’s Foundation and will be used for pediatric social work training at children’s hospitals with Disney Fun Houses across China as well as at hospitals that are part of the National Children’s Medical Center Alliance for Social Work and Philanthropy. The program will be designed by Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, one of the key initiators of the alliance, providing professional training to equip pediatric medical workers in children’s hospitals with social work expertise and skills that can help them enhance the hospital experience for young patients and their families.
“Shanghai Children’s Medical Center has built several Disney themed spaces in the past five years with the support of Shanghai Disney Resort,” said Ji Qingying, Party Secretary and Vice President of Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. “With the new fund, we can train more medical workers at children’s hospitals across China to teach them to better use the facilities and provide psychological support to children and their families.”
The continued effort of supporting children’s hospitals is a long-running Disney tradition, which dates back to the 1930s when Walt Disney would visit families, accompanied by Disney characters and animators, to bring patients a little more comfort and joy in times of adversity. Five years ago, in celebration of Shanghai Disney Resort’s Grand Opening, The Walt Disney Company made a special donation of $3.1 million (RMB 20 million) to fund Disney-themed play spaces at children’s hospitals in China. Since then, The Walt Disney Company China and Shanghai Disney Resort have opened dozens of Disney Fun Houses in hospitals across China, bringing happiness and laughter to so many children and their families.
