Press Centre

Press Release

Amusement parks to raise money for UNICEF

NEW YORK, 24 July 2002 - In a ceremony here today, UNICEF and the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions announced a global fundraising alliance for children under the banner: "Your Change for A Real Change."

The partnership, initiated by Mr. Alain Baldacci, Chairman of the IAAPA Board of Directors, will offer a menu of cause-related fundraising activities from which individual amusement park members and partnering UNICEF field offices and national committees may select. The IAAPA will promote the partnership and encourage members to adopt the programme and help make a real change in the life of children world-wide.

"There is a natural affinity between UNICEF's work with children and their communities, and the time for family recreation provided by IAAPA's members in the amusement parks and attractions industry," said Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF. " We welcome this initiative for the IAAPA and its members to get involved in supporting children world-wide."

IAAPA said its message will be that every child should have the opportunity to enjoy a healthy and happy childhood.

IAAPA has 5600 member amusement parks in 100 countries, with a total of some 1 billion visitors annually. The association was formed in 1918 to serve the needs of the amusement parks industry. IAAPA is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and has an elected Board of Directors.

Funds raised from the three-year partnership will go toward supporting UNICEF immunization activities around the world. UNICEF is the world's largest buyer of childhood vaccines and helps governments protect hundreds of millions of children from vaccine-preventable diseases every year. Still, more than a quarter of the world's children are not protected by routine vaccination.

IAAPA member parks in several countries have already expressed a commitment to adopting the "Your Change for a Real Change" campaign.