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Disney theme parks have donated more than 100,000 N95 masks to New York, California and Florida — and 150,000 rain ponchos to protect nurse’s uniforms — amid the coronavirus crisis.
The entertainment giant — which already closed all its theme parks and stores amid the pandemic — made the announcement in a Wednesday statement.
“Disney Parks has a longstanding history of helping hospitals and communities, dating back to the 1930s, when Walt, himself, took Disney characters and animators on outreach visits,” the statement said. “Sharing the magic of Disney continues today through contributions, collaborating with nonprofit organizations, in-kind gifts and employee volunteerism. These are some of the ways Disney brings positive, lasting change to communities around the world.”
It’s unclear how many masks each of the three states will individually receive from Disney Parks. New York State has reported 74,427 coronavirus cases — the most in the nation. California has 8,131 and there are 6,490 cases in Florida, according to the CDC.
The poncho donation idea was inspired by nurses nationwide who realized that the covering helped them protect their clothing and prolong the use of personal protective equipment, Disney Parks said. The ponchos will go to the humanitarian aid organization MedShare, which will distribute them to hospitals in need.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything we’ve seen before,” MedShare CEO and President Charles Redding said in the statement. “We have to find ways to pool our resources and work together to help the healthcare workers who are doing their very best to treat patients and contain COVID-19. We appreciate Disney partnering with us to support hospitals and healthcare workers on the frontlines.”
Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris and Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii also recently donated 270 tons of food to local food banks, the Wednesday statement said.
