Disney awards $70,000 to Newport-Mesa groups

Bryce Alderton

NEWPORT-MESA -- The timing couldn’t be better while the nation

attempts to unite following the recent terrorist attacks. The Disneyland

Resort on Thursday awarded $450,000 to 53 nonprofit organizations

countywide, including a $50,000 allocation to the Anti-Defamation League,

which fights prejudice.

The league’s Costa Mesa office was one of two organizations to receive

the resort’s outstanding award during the 44th annual Disneyland Resort’s

Community Service Awards reception at Disney’s California Adventure.

Joyce Greenspan, regional director of the league’s Costa Mesa office,

said she couldn’t be happier with the timing of the award.

“Boy, is it the time for this,” she said. “We must understand that no

matter what race or religion, we’re all Americans.”

Ray Gomez, spokesman for the resort, shared Greenspan’s thoughts.

“It’s very appropriate given the national tragedy,” he said.

But Gomez said the decisions had been made by a panel of judges prior

to the Sept. 11 attacks.

The league plans to use the $50,000 for anti-bias/prejudice training

programs, some of which will be used in county schools with approved

state curriculum standards. The league applied for the grant two months

ago.

The Anti-Defamation League is a nonprofit national organization with

30 regional offices dedicated to fighting all forms of discrimination,

providing hate crime and anti-bias training while working with law

enforcement agencies and schools.

The Costa Mesa-based Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation also

received an award of $5,000 in the health category during the ceremony.

Sally Molnar, a Newport Beach resident and board member of the

foundation, said the foundation will use the money for a treatment grant

program in the county that provides financial assistance to women with

limited or no insurance.

Disneyland Resort awarded a total of $450,000 to 53 Orange County

agencies. Corona del Mar-based Docent Guild of Bowers Museum received

$5,000 in the cultural arts category, the Orange County Council of Boy

Scouts of America in Costa Mesa received $5,000 in the civic community

service category and the Share Our Selves Emergency Services Program in

Costa Mesa received $5,000 in the social community service category.

Walt Disney initiated the awards in 1957 to recognize “service to the

community in any way, shape or form,” Gomez said.

Gomez said about 1,500 people attended the 90-minute ceremony

Thursday. This year, 317 organizations applied for the awards.