Nov. 26, 2001 – Like Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse will be paying holiday visits to the Virgin Islands. On Dec. 12, the quintessential Disney character and companions will hop off a cruise ship in the St. Thomas harbor to catch a ferry to see children on St. John and leave behind a present for youngsters on St. Croix.
Mickey and his entourage will be "donating toys, books, videos and all that good stuff" at the Guy Benjamin School and at the Human Services Department's Head Start Program center on St. John, Disney Cruise Line spokeswoman Christie Erwin said on Monday.
When the Disney Magic cruise ship makes its regularly scheduled stop at St. Thomas on Dec. 12, Erwin said, Mickey and some crew members will take the ferry to St. John to visit the schools. The present destined for St. Croix is a check from the cruise line to the Queen Louise Home for Children as part of its Adopt-an-Agency program.
Erwin said that crews from the Disney ships Magic and Wonder also will make holiday shore visits in Florida, Abaco, Nassau, Grand Bahama Island and Sint Maarten.
In the Adopt-an-Agency program, Disney matches money raised by shipboard crews to help the Queen Louise Home and also the St. Francis de Sales Every Child Counts program at Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas, as well as by Disney World show casts to benefit central Florida families.
"Disney Cruise Line is proud to support many organizations that nurture the lives of children," cruise line community relations manager Kim Piercy said in a press release.