Pictured above: John Harris Big Boss of Variety Clubs International presenting a gold Variety Clubs International membership card to Walt Disney.
Throughout the years, the Snow White Grotto in Disneyland, with its picturesque wishing well, has proven a popular area for photographs, for guests to toss a coin and make a wish, or for gentlemen to propose to their future wives. Throughout the day, one may hear the beckoning song of Snow White singing, “I’m wishing, for the one I love…” with her echo softly emanating from the well. Well, the story of the popular area began on this day at 2 p.m. in 1961 when youngsters from 25 nations participated in a special dedication ceremony which included Walt Disney himself and members of Variety Clubs International—since the coins that guests would toss into the well would benefit the children’s charities sponsored by that organization. If you wish you could have heard Walt’s dedication speech, here are the words he spoke, “Wishing long has been a favorite subject of mine. Wishes have come true for many of the characters in my motion pictures… and for me, too. A wish is really the first step in the realization of a dream or goal. Down through the ages, people have used different symbols to wish for things. Sometimes they looked at the stars, and other times the symbol was something else—very often wishing wells. Variety Clubs International is known throughout the world as ‘The Heart of Show Business.’ Its work—helping needy children—is carried out through many charities in many lands. So here at Disneyland, where we have visitors from all over the world, this Disneyland-Variety Clubs International Wishing Well is dedicated to youngsters everywhere. When you throw your coins into this wishing well, just remember that wishes made here at this well will really come true… for the children of the world.”
