Disney brings Field Day to schools impacted by Eaton Fire

Disney brought its magic to the schoolyards of Don Benito Fundamental School Friday morning, giving over 800 fire-impacted PUSD students a day filled with activities and games, and even a visit from some of their favorite Marvel and Pixar characters.

Students from Odyssey Charter School, McKinley School and Don Benito — all three of which have taken displaced students and staff from the Eaton fire, including Eliot Arts Magnet and Rosebud Charter School — shuffled into the schoolyards wearing makeshift Mickey Mouse ears, with some even sporting their own Disney paraphernalia from the theme parks.

Field Day was like bringing Disneyland to Pasadena schools, minus the long lines and a 40 mile drive to Anaheim. Kids jumped up and screamed when they saw some of their favorite Disney characters, like Princess Tiana and Princess Rapunzel, Joy and Sadness from Inside Out, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Rey from Star Wars walk onto the field.

Separated into four teams, students rotated between play areas, with princess, Star Wars, Zootopia, Marvel, Inside Out, and Mickey-themed activities.

The Pasadena Educational Foundation collaborated with Disney to bring Disney Field Day to students impacted by the Eaton fire, which damaged five PUSD schools in Altadena. The event is part of Disney’s $15 million efforts to help communities with the initial and immediate response to and rebuilding from deadly Eaton and Palisades fires that swept through swaths of LA County in January.

In PUSD, Eliot Arts Magnet School, Aveson Charter School, Loma Alta Elementary School, Noyes Elementary School, and Franklin Elementary School were damaged in the Eaton fire.

Though it’s been eight months since the Eaton fire, many PUSD families are still displaced, dealing with insurance and figuring out rebuilding logistics.

“Even though [the Eaton fire] is not a news headline everyday, it’s a headline in these children’s lives,” said PUSD Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco.

Since the fires, Disney has hosted Disney Field Days at Palisades and Brentwood schools, which suffered losses from the Palisades fire.

“We made a commitment during the fires,” said Lisa Haines, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for Walt Disney Company. “We [Disney] said that we weren’t going to just be here in the few days after. We were going to be here as the community recovered and rebuilt.”