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Disney’s Magic of Storytelling campaign is underway, and Disney is providing a behind-the-scenes look into how this charitable endeavor happens! Emily Wagner, a Digital Employee Communications Manager for Disney Parks, Experiences & Products, recently shared an interview with a Disney Publishing Worldwide employee on the Disney Parks Blog.
Disney and the nonprofit organization First Book have been working together for a decade on the Magic of Storytelling charitable campaign, which “inspires imagination and a lifelong love of reading” in children. However, work on the campaign began at least 11 years ago, and Disney Publishing Worldwide Global Operations Associate Katie Abbey was an instrumental part of the process!
Disney Publishing Worldwide Global Operations Associate Katie Abbey Credit: Disney Parks Blog
The Magic of Storytelling campaign is an initiative “to ensure that both children and educators have access to some of Disney’s most beloved books and series”, particularly children or educators who don’t have access to many books or who have previously been unable to buy books, and Katie has been helping the campaign grow to what it is today.
Katie Abbey actually began her time with Disney as a Disney Cruise Line performer in 2001, before switching gears to work for Disney Publishing Worldwide as a Human Resources Coordinator and, later, a Publishing Operations team member. Now, her primary objective involves handling Disney’s book donations to First Book as well as spreading awareness about “the incredible impact” from the 10-year collaboration!
2019 Magic of Storytelling Family Festival at LaFayette Recreation Center in Los Angeles, CA. Credit: Disney Parks Blog
Giving out free books is not the only way that Disney has shared resources with the non-profit First Book. “Skills-based volunteering” from Disney VoluntEARS (especially at Magic of Storytelling Family Festivals, where they organize up to 40,000 books for children) and monetary support have also been an integral part of Disney’s aid.
In addition, Disney also helps First Book fund initiatives like the nonprofit organization’s Stories for All Project, which endeavors “to increase diversity and promote inclusion among children’s books and literature”. “The roots are strong, and the sky’s the limit,” Katie said, commenting on the initiative.
2018 Magic of Storytelling Family Festival at MEND in Pacoima, CA. Credit: Disney Parks Blog
This interview and the spotlight on Katie Abbey were part of this week’s Global Recognition Week from Disney! If you want to help introduce children to the magic of literature, too, there’s an easy way. Disney Publishing Worldwide’s partnership with the online Disney store shopDisney.com for its “Buy a Book, Give a Book” campaign means that purchasing a new book on the online store shopDisney any time in 2022 will automatically lead to another new book being donated to someone in need through First Book.
2019 Magic of Storytelling Family Festival at LaFayette Recreation Center in Los Angeles, CA. Credit: Disney Parks Blog
As Katie put it, “it’s such a simple way to make your purchases count toward something that benefits children” — and there are plenty of great Disney books to buy along the way from the online store!
