While much of the thrill of attending fan conventions comes from the free giveaways, attendees at D23, the biennial Disney fan convention in Anaheim, had the opportunity to help give back.
Disney VoluntEARS, the company’s employee volunteer program, was one of the many booths set up inside the Anaheim Convention Center for the three-day event.
Visitors to the activation got to learn more about the program’s history of helping, and ultimately take part in the experience themselves.
Throughout the duration of the convention, booth visitors helped Disney employees pack care packages for local charities.
On Saturday, Disney fans helped assemble reading kits comprised of Disney kids books, crayons, notebooks and bookmarks.
The completed kits were then collected by Disney employees and will later be donated to First Book, a nonprofit organization that aims to remove educational barriers for all children, regardless of their background or where they live.
In exchange for participating in the process, D23 guests were still given a small token of appreciation for their help. On Saturday, it was a special VoluntEARS pin.
First Book is the second charity to be spotlighted during D23. On Friday it was the U.S.O., and on Sunday it will be Second Harvest Food Bank.
While a simple task, the full impact of the VoluntEARS booth is to inform the public about the work being done by Disney employees, participants said.
D23 is taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center from Friday through Sunday.