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El Capitan Theatre Hosting Community Screenings of Moana 2 & Mufasa
The El Capitan Theatre, a historic Hollywood landmark owned by The Walt Disney Company, is being utilized to support relief and recovery efforts in response to the recent devastating fires that ravaged Los Angeles.
Related – Experience Mufasa: The Lion King in Stunning 3D at The El Capitan Theatre
“When you step into a movie, you’re transported to another world,” James Wood, the General Manager of The El Capitan, said.
This week, The El Capitan Theatre offered free screenings of ‘Moana 2’ and ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ to provide a welcome escape and bring joy to children and families impacted by the recent wildfires in the LA community.
Like many others across The Walt Disney Company, as fires broke out around the greater Los Angeles region, the team at The El Capitan asked themselves, “What can we do during this time?” Wood said.
“Well, the best thing we do is entertain,” he said.
As it happened, the Disney Corporate Social Responsibility team also had the idea to host complimentary screenings, and within 48 hours, those screenings went from idea to reality.
“We have opened our doors to the entire community,” Wood said. “We want people to have a sense of normalcy in a very challenging time.”
To get the word out, Disney extended invitations to local school districts and nonprofits supporting kids and families who have been directly impacted by the fires, including several Boys & Girls Clubs in the LA area. KABC — a Disney owned television station — also helped to spread news of the screenings.
To enhance the experience for these special guests, Disney and The El Capitan Theatre provided complimentary refreshments, including drinks, popcorn, and collectible film posters. Ghirardelli Chocolate shop, located adjacent to the El Capitan, further enhanced the experience by offering complimentary chocolate bars. Families enjoyed taking photos with backdrops featuring iconic Disney films, often assisted by Disney VoluntEARS, employees who dedicate their time to supporting their local communities through a dedicated volunteer program.
“Disney VoluntEARS greet all of the families as they come in, making sure that their experience is top notch, and really to that Disney standard,” Sarah Whitney, Senior Manager, CSR at Disney Entertainment, said.
The goal has been “to provide new memories for these families,” Whitney noted. “We hope that this gives families the opportunity to have that safe space and be able to come back rejuvenated.” Wood has been able to peek into the theatre during screenings and see how the guests are reacting. “It seems like a joyous, normal moviegoing experience, which is what we wanted it to be,” he said.
The history of Disney is inextricably linked to the LA area and the teams across the company have been working tirelessly to help our hometown community bounce back from these devastating fires.
The El Capitan is “Disney’s home on Hollywood Boulevard,” Wood explained.
Wood, who has worked at the theatre in various roles since 2001, added that having these screenings in the El Capitan Theatre, “a place that’s close to 100 years old, really showcases that we are going to keep going, that Los Angeles is a place that is strong, that will continue and will always continue.”
Disney is also committing $15 million for initial and immediate response and rebuilding efforts; Disney Entertainment Television opening its wardrobe warehouse in North Hollywood to employees who lost their homes; assembling hundreds of comfort kits for kids impacted by the fires; hosting various donation drives across the company; ABC News Group expanding its SoCal Strong coverage across platforms; and much more.
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