From the Disney Parks Blog and written by: Cappy Surette
The start of May kicks off National Military Appreciation Month, and soon EPCOT will welcome a very exciting collection to The American Adventure Pavilion. With a grand opening on June 9, Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors, a special exhibit from the George W. Bush Institute, will be featured as part of Disney’s enduring admiration for those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces and veterans.
President George W. Bush working on his painting collection that is now known as the “Portraits of Courage: A Commander’s Tribute to America’s Warriors”
The exhibit grows out of President Bush’s personal commitment and the ongoing work of the Bush Institute’s Veterans and Military Families program. This extraordinary art exhibit brings together more than 60 vibrant oil paintings by President Bush of service members and veterans who have served in military uniform with honor since 9/11, and whom the President has come to know personally since leaving office.
“Celebrating those who give so much to our country has been part of the fabric of The Walt Disney Company throughout our 100-year history,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences. “We’re grateful to the Bush Institute for allowing us to feature this special collection and share it with our guests.”
Sharing Military Veteran Stories Through Art
Each painting is accompanied by the inspiring story of the veteran depicted and our guests visiting the exhibit will learn more about these military heroes’ journey. These include tales of valiant service on the battlefield, resilience in recovering from injury to the continued leadership and contributions they make in their post-military careers. Even better is that each story was personally written by President Bush himself.
Pieces of the Portraits of Courage: A Commander’s Tribute to America’s Warriors collection from its initial debut in 2017 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the SMU campus in Dallas, Texas.
“We are thrilled Portraits of Courage will be on display for EPCOT visitors to experience this year,” said Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. “My hope is that those who have the opportunity to see this special exhibit will also remember the leadership, service, and sacrifice behind each of the heroes painted and the unique challenges our servicemembers and their families face when transitioning out of the military.”
Offering Resources for Post 9/11 Veterans
Additionally, the exhibit will also include information and resources created to support post 9/11 veterans and their families. One of those resources, called Check-In, is a tool for veterans and their families to easily connect to no cost, high-quality, mental and brain health care. To learn more about Check-In, visit Veterancheckin.org.
Creating Care Kits for Deployed Military Service Members with the USO
We have much more in store over the coming weeks as we recognize National Military Appreciation Month. This includes Disney Consumer Products hosting a series of Disney VoluntEARS events alongside the Disney SALUTE veteran employee resource group in both Glendale, CA and Orlando, FL to assemble 4,000 USO care packages for deployed military service members. The USO Care Package Program is designed to provide service members with a connection to home while they are serving overseas in challenging conditions.
The Walt Disney Company has worked with the USO since 2003 on various initiatives such as care packages, family room renovations, USO/character tours and movie screenings. By the end of the month, our Disney VoluntEARS will have had the honor of assembling an astonishing 16,000 care packages this year so far for deployed military service members.
We look forward to celebrating National Military Appreciation Month with additional events leading up to us welcoming back the Department of Defense Warrior Games to Disney World June 21-30.
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