Disney Cast Members Continue ``Operation Uplift''; Postcard Campaign is Well-received by Hundreds of U.S. Troops Abroad, Including Men and Women of the U.S.S. Shreveport.Business Editors NOTE TO MEDIA: Photo is available in a Smart News Release(TM) on Business Wire's Home Page at www.businesswire.com and at www.newstream.com BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2002 When Disney cast member Mike Woodhall began writing letters of support to U.S. Troops during Operation Desert Storm Noun 1. Operation Desert Storm - the United States and its allies defeated Iraq in a ground war that lasted 100 hours (1991) Gulf War, Persian Gulf War - a war fought between Iraq and a coalition led by the United States that freed Kuwait from Iraqi invaders; , he never imagined it would blossom into a company-wide initiative. Now, The Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966) Disney, Walter Elias Disney Company cast members have continued the tradition of running Disney's "Operation Uplift," through which employees send messages of support and thanks to U.S. servicemen and women, including the sailors and marines serving aboard the U.S.S. Shreveport who are seeing duty in Operation Enduring Freedom. Their gratitude was expressed by their commanding officer, Captain William Valentine, in the letter that follows: Greetings from the Commanding Officer of USS SHREVEPORT Two ships of the United States Navy have been named for the city of Shreveport, Louisiana.
My name is Captain Bill Valentine. I am sending you this note on behalf of everyone aboard to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the entire Disney Corporation, and in particular, Mike Woodhall and his team at OPERATION UPLIFT, for all of your wonderful support. SHREVEPORT has been deployed to the North Arabian North Arabian may refer to:
September in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. The ship's homeport is Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States of America. With a population of 234,403 as of the 2000 census, Norfolk is Virginia's second-largest incorporated city. and all 800 of our Sailors and Marines are counting the days until we return. Mike made contact with the ship immediately after the tragic events of September 11th, just prior to the ship leaving on our current deployment. In fact, we put to sea on the day of the attacks to render any support we could. Mike and his team understood at once that our ship would be away from home for the Holidays. The OPERATION UPLIFT organization flew into action to make sure our Sailors and Marines knew how much their efforts were appreciated. The result was over 1,000 post cards, signed by the Disney family The family of Elias Disney (son of Kepple Disney and Mary Richardson):
arriving aboard SHREVEPORT in time for Christmas. We distributed these gifts to all of our Sailors and Marines, and the smiles on their faces would have brought a tear to your eye. It was a great gesture by the Disney organization, one that had a profound and positive impact on the READINESS, SAFETY, and QUALITY OF LIFE for each and every person aboard. Mike and his team are to be commended for their tireless and dedicated support of this ship. I also wanted to thank you for hosting "Military Appreciation Days." I know that the uniformed men and women who proudly serve our country will thoroughly enjoy their stay in the MAGIC KINGDOM! Please accept our thanks and deep appreciation for your company's support of SHREVEPORT and the NAVY/MARINES CORPS. As a long time stockholder in your company, I know that the DISNEY CORP has business interests that span the globe and involve billions of dollars. However, the true character of your organization is reflected in the attitudes and actions of the individuals that make up the DISNEY FAMILY. For what it is worth, Mike Woodhall and his team made life at sea for over 800 people a little easier, a lot happier, and considerably more satisfying. It was a gesture of kindness that no one on SHREVEPORT will soon forget. I have attached a picture that captures the spirit of thanks and appreciation of this Captain and his crew. I hope it brings a smile of pride and satisfaction to everyone at DISNEY. Warm Regards and God Bless, William D. Valentine, Jr. CAPT USN Commanding Officer USS SHREVEPORT (LPD-12) FPO (For Position Only) A low-resolution image used to mark the placement of the final image. During the draft stages of a publication, FPOs are often used instead of the high-resolution images, which take up a significant amount of storage. AE 09587-1714 Disney's "Operation Uplift" was born in 1995, following its successful trial during Operation Desert Storm. During that conflict, Mr. Woodhall read a letter in the newspaper from a serviceman who said that the troops didn't get much mail, but when they did they knew that people back at home cared and it meant the world to them. That struck a chord with Mr. Woodhall and he began writing to the troops to thank them for their efforts and to let them know people at home did indeed care about them. For his efforts, Mr. Woodhall was named 1998 "Disney VoluntEAR" at the Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort complex in Anaheim, California. . "Operation Uplift" is among several initiatives at The Walt Disney Company to support U.S. troops. DisneyHand, the worldwide outreach of The Walt Disney Company, has coordinated efforts among ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. , Inc., ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network , Disney Channel  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. , The Walt Disney Studios The name Walt Disney Studios may refer to:
(UNIX Software Operation) AT&T's Unix division before it turned into USL. See Unix. World Sponsor, assisting with outreach and marketing efforts on behalf of the USO and its programs and providing more than $1 million in financial aid and in-kind support. To honor American men and women fighting for freedom, the DISNEYLAND Resort and the Walt Disney World Noun 1. Walt Disney World - a large amusement park established in 1971 to the southwest of Orlando Orlando - a city in central Florida; site of Walt Disney World Resort announced an unprecedented program that allows active U.S. military personnel complimentary admission into Disney theme parks, as well as ticket discounts for family members and friends. "Disney's Armed Forces Salute" will be offered until April 30, 2002, for active U.S. military personnel, with proper U.S. military identification. In addition, The Walt Disney Company has been working closely with the Points of Light Foundation, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to involve more people more effectively in volunteer service. Immediately following the events of September 11th, The Walt Disney Company established the "DisneyHand: Survivor Relief Fund," to which Disney made a corporate contribution of $5 million and Disney employees contributed more than $700,000. In late September, Disney companies created and introduced public service announcements featuring First Lady Laura Bush to help kids cope with their feelings and emotions about the September 11 attacks September 11 attacks Series of airline hijackings and suicide bombings against U.S. targets perpetrated by 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda. . Editor's Note: Attached please find a press release issued by the USS Shreveport about Disney's efforts and the photograph of the men and women on board the USS Shreveport referenced in Capt. Valentine's letter. Note: A Photo is available at URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. : http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.011602/bb1 http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.011602/bb1a |
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