Author: sHq_LoGiNz
- Tech-Loving Make-A-Wish Kid Hosted by Disney Imagineers at Walt Disney Imagineering and Disneyland for 170,000th Wish
- Milestone Wish Celebrated During 70th Anniversary of First Disney Park
- A Disney Wish is Granted Every Hour of Every Day, Making Disney the #1 Wish Granter in the World for Make-A-Wish
BURBANK, Calif., Aug. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Tech-savvy 13-year-old Madison had one wish – to learn all about the science behind Disney theme parks from the very Imagineers who create them. While undergoing treatment for leukemia, Madison (Maddie) read “The Imagineering Story” and watched “Behind the Attraction” on Disney+. This inspired her wish to meet the Imagineers who bring the parks to life, and one day become an Imagineer herself.
On July 17, 2025, a day after touring the Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) campus in Glendale, Calif., two especially magical moments collided: Madison joined Imagineers to see their work come to life during her first trip to Disneyland Resort while the original Disney park celebrated its 70th anniversary.
During Madison’s wish, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Make-A-Wish® America President and CEO Leslie Motter made a surprise appearance to celebrate Madison as Disney’s 170,000th wish kid, marking a historic milestone for Disney and Make-A-Wish.
“We are honored so many Make-A-Wish kids choose Disney,” D’Amaro said. “Our Imagineers were thrilled to show Madison how they bring our stories to life in our parks. Fulfilling her wish on the 70th anniversary of Disneyland made the moment even more special.”
“Disney has supported Make-A-Wish from the very beginning, and now 45 years later, we are making a greater impact together than ever before,” said Leslie Motter, President and CEO, Make-A-Wish America. “170,000 wishes granted is a testament to the company’s steadfast commitment to delivering hope and joy when it’s needed most to wish kids and their families around the world.”
Highlights of Madison’s exclusive VIP tour at WDI included a special Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance panel hosted by five Imagineers, where she learned about the attraction’s cutting-edge technology and creative process. She also met with Imagineers who shared insights about their work in ride technology, Audio-Animatronics figures, and Disney Live Entertainment. Madison was even able to explore the rich history of Imagineering and Disneyland Resort through sketches and archives at the Imagineering Resource Center.
The next day at Disneyland, Imagineers hosted Madison and her family for a full day of fun. After a special walkthrough of Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure Park, the attraction she was the most excited to experience, the family visited Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, where she was once again surprised by D’Amaro – this time joined by Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum and the BDX Droids.
Madison later had the chance to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run with Imagineers who worked on the attractions. The trip culminated with Madison’s recognition during The Celebrate Happy Cavalcade and a memorable tour of Walt Disney’s apartment on Main Street, U.S.A, where she was presented with a special autograph book signed by Imagineers.
“Meeting the Imagineers felt like something out of a dream,” said Madison. “I want to bring joy to people like they do.”
About Disney Experiences
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company’s powerful brands and franchises — including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, 20th Century Studios and National Geographic — into the daily lives of families and fans around the world to create magical memories that last a lifetime.
When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955, he created a unique destination built around storytelling and immersive experiences, ushering in a new era of family entertainment. More than 70 years later, Disney has grown into one of the world’s leading providers of family travel and leisure experiences, with iconic businesses including six resort destinations with 12 theme parks and 57 resorts in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line with six ships and plans for seven more; a luxurious family beach resort in Hawai’i; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Disney’s global consumer products operations include the world’s leading licensing business; the world’s largest children’s publishing brands; one of the world’s largest licensors of games across all platforms; Disney store locations around the world; and the Disney Store e-commerce platform.
These experiences are created by Disney Imagineers, the creative force behind experiences found in Disney theme parks, resort hotels and cruise ships.
About Make-A-Wish®
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Founded in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the #1 most trusted nonprofit operating locally in all 50 states throughout the U.S. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 20,000 volunteers across the country, Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 615,000 wishes worldwide; more than 390,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.
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SOURCE Disney Experiences
ATLANTA, August 11, 2025 /3BL/ – Globally, more than 3.6 billion people lack access to facilities and infrastructure to safely dispose of human waste, with dire consequences for public health as well as privacy concerns. To accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6, focused on ensuring access to sanitation and clean water for all, CARE is partnering with iDE and IDinsight—two mission-driven global organizations—to test and scale innovative market-based models that promote sanitation.
The new partnership aims to increase access to safe and durable household toilets by harnessing private sector solutions, government investments, community-led financial mechanisms, and rigorous evidence to measure success. While effective sanitation technologies already exist, systemic barriers—including weak sanitation supply chains, limited household access to finance, and low public investment—have stalled progress towards universal household sanitation, particularly in rural Sub-Saharan Africa.
The partnership will launch this month with a 1-year pilot program in Zambia , connecting sanitation entrepreneurs and public officials with Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) —CARE global flagship initiative that enables women to save and borrow money in the absence of a formal bank —to reinforce demand for sanitation, increase access to finance, and foster a new generation of sanitation entrepreneurs.
While government commitment and community awareness are key to bridging the sanitation gap, sanitation entrepreneurs and businesses are critical in ensuring that rural households have affordable sanitation options they will use and maintain. By increasing household sanitation access, CARE and partners seek to promote individual dignity and improve public health as diarrheal diseases remain a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and malnutrition in many parts of the world.
This new partnership leverages the organizations’ collective resources and brings together each organization’s distinct strengths:
- CARE’s extensive on-the-ground presence and expertise in community engagement and institutional strengthening,
- iDE’s proven track record of developing and scaling market-based solutions for low-income communities, and
- IDinsight’s rigorous data analytics and evaluation capabilities.
CARE sees this partnership as a powerful opportunity to leverage its VSLA network and accelerate progress towards global sanitation. “By combining iDE’s market-driven sanitation expertise with CARE’s deep community relationships and financial inclusion platforms, we can unlock faster, more sustainable access to improved sanitation products and services,” said Rod Beadle, Director of CARE’s Water Team.
For Elise Mann, Global WaSH Director at iDE, the partnership is an opportunity for rural sanitation entrepreneurs to build their customer base, starting with early adopters who influence the wider community. “We know that VSLA members can play this early adopter role and accelerate investments in other households. Success means that more households will have safe toilets more quickly – improving their own health and security, and the health of their wider communities.”
IDinsight, a global leader in empowering decision-makers with data and evidence, will rigorously assess the model’s outcomes on improving people’s lives. “The partnership between CARE and iDE on market-based sanitation can leverage organizational complementarities as well as existing assets, footprints, and relationships to drive innovation, cost-effectiveness, and scalability,” said Rico Bergemann, Associate Director at IDinsight.
In Zambia, the partnership is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, District and Ward governments, and other public sector institutions. There is urgency to this issue. “Currently, only half of Zambian households have safe sanitation, but the Government of Zambia has set a 90 percent household sanitation coverage target by 2030. There is a lot to do to increase sanitation uptake.” said Moses Mumba, Program Manager at CARE Zambia. “This pilot will help inform national and local government approaches to scaling sanitation and help achieve those ambitious targets.”
This partnership is designed to test a model that can be reproduced anywhere market conditions and community-led platforms are amenable. While the partnership aims to create accelerated pathways to close the sanitation gap in Zambia, in so doing, it will unlock complementary benefits across health, nutrition, education, and the economy—advancing opportunities and dignity for millions. “At a time when funding for foreign aid is increasingly scarce, solutions that are cost-effective, lifesaving and scalable are more important than ever,” said Anita Akella, CARE’s Director of Impact at Scale.
For media inquiries, please email usa.media@care.org
Note to editors:
About CARE: Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls. Equipped with the proper resources, women and girls have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. In 2024, CARE worked in 121 countries, reaching 53 million people through 1,450 projects. To learn more, visit www.care.org
About iDE: iDE’s mission is to end global poverty. The organization believes that catalyzing the power of local markets is the best way to do this. iDE works with local entrepreneurs who connect underserved, last-mile markets with products and services that enable people to move up the economic ladder. iDE works in the sectors of agriculture, WaSH, and nutrition across 12 countries and has impacted more than 44 million people to date. To learn more, visit www.ide.org
About IDinsight: IDinsight is a global non-profit research, data analytics, and advisory organization that helps development leaders maximize their social impact. To learn more, visit: www.idinsight.org
What you need to know:
- Today, in partnership with Hyfi and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Verizon launches floodwater sensors in the city of Chicago to provide city managers and emergency preparedness officials with an unprecedented level of information to mitigate the catastrophic impacts of flooding.
- The 50 high-tech, low cost sensors, distributed across flood-prone areas in Chicago and made possible by startup Hyfi, operate on Verizon’s 5G network.
- Verizon rolled out the floodwater sensors in New Orleans last year, which provided critical data during Hurricane Francine. Verizon will roll out the sensors in additional cities over the next year.
CHICAGO, August 11, 2025 /3BL/ – Today, in partnership with Hyfi and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Verizon launches its floodwater sensors in the city of Chicago to provide city managers, emergency preparedness officials and affected communities with a groundbreaking level of information to mitigate the catastrophic impacts of flooding. The 50 high-tech, low cost sensors, which operate on Verizon’s 5G network, are distributed across flood-prone areas in Chicago, and are made possible by startup Hyfi.
Hyfi’s platform combines its wireless, solar-powered water level sensors and its web-based app to provide a real-time map of flood conditions in surrounding areas, informed by the sensors’ observations of the water level. Use of the app also minimizes or eliminates the need for stormwater professionals or emergency responders to manually calibrate the sensor in the field or in the midst of a major weather event. Eventually, the app will also be available to local residents to monitor data in their own neighborhoods.
This cutting-edge solution has led to Hyfi joining the Verizon Frontline Innovation Program as its newest partner. This program, launched in 2024, was instituted to further the design and development of response-ready solutions, like Hyfi’s sensors, that help improve emergency response, preparedness, recovery or mitigation efforts in communities like Chicago.
Heavy rainfall and urban flooding are recurring issues in Chicago. The city has combined sewer systems, which can overflow during major rain events and lead to basement backups and street flooding. There is a pressing need for real-time monitoring solutions, which Verizon sought to address via Hyfi’s floodwater sensors and app.
Community input is a vital component of the project. Verizon has worked with local partners to provide flood-disaster response education and make residents aware of the real-time data that Hyfi sensors gather . In Chicago, the Center for Neighborhood Technology is facilitating community meetings in partnership with community-based organizations including The Greater Chatham Initiative on the South Side and Grassroots Empowerment Mission and North River Commission on the Northwest Side, with several more planned for this year.
Verizon rolled out the floodwater sensors in New Orleans last year, and they provided critical data during Hurricane Francine. In partnership with Hyfi, this is the first coordinated multi-city flood warning system of its kind and sensors will be deployed in additional cities over the next year.
“Flooding has been in the headlines more than ever, and the impact can be devastating, said Donna Epps, Chief Responsible Business Officer at Verizon. “We’re pleased to launch these flood sensors in Chicago and we’ll continue to invest and innovate to bring game-changing technologies to communities that need it most. Verizon is committed to helping communities prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters, and these sensors are just one way we are demonstrating that commitment.”
“Chicago is leading the way in using data to tackle urban flooding head-on. We’re proud to partner with Verizon and CNT to bring this technology to neighborhoods where timely information can prevent flooding from becoming a crisis,” said Brandon Wong, CEO of Hyfi. “By delivering real-time insights into neighborhood flooding and the underlying causes, we’re focused on helping crews and communities get ahead of floods—up to an hour before a flood hits.”
“Urban flooding—when the local sewer system cannot cope with the amount of rain during a storm—is getting worse as severe storms are on the rise. Plus, increased development is creating more impervious surfaces,” said Nina Idemudia, CEO of Center for Neighborhood Technology. “Our research has found the problem is worse in places where people with fewer resources live, so we’re excited to play a role in creating a new data source to help pinpoint flooding hot spots and find new ways to help communities address them.”
The Center for Neighborhood Technology and Verizon are working together to educate communities to make informed decisions and stay safe in emergencies during severe weather season. Meetings have been held in Chatham and Belmont-Cragin. The public is encouraged to register for the upcoming disaster preparedness workshops. Learn more at cnt.org/verizon.
Media contact
Hope Arcuri Armanus
hope.arcuri.armanus@verizon.com