Celebrating 60 Years of Annette Funicello

Everyone within the Disney blogosphere knows that this year is Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration. Well, it’s not the only one. In 1955, the Mickey Mouse Club became an American phenomenon, and at the center of it was Annette Funicello.

This year at D23, you have a chance to celebrate the life of this extraordinary person. In celebration of that historic milestone, the Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases will present the inaugural public exhibition of Annette’s most celebrated awards, including the Disney Legends Award and her own star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Also, hidden within her home for over five decades, Annette’s “Tower of Talent” award for her first hit single, “How Will I Know My Love”, will be exhibited for the first time in history. Presented to Annette in 1959 by Albany, New York’s WPTR Radio, the award would follow Annette’s featured performance at one of the earliest rock and roll stadium shows of that era.

In addition to the artifacts from Annette’s personal archive scheduled for display at D23 Expo, a vintage collection of Annette’s high school homework assignments has recently surfaced. A limited edition of only 100 signed and dated pages will be offered to benefit the Annette Funicello Research Fund. Held for the past half century in the collection of Mrs. Jean Seaman, the Mouseketeers’ teacher at the Walt Disney Studio, these hand-written treasures will be made available exclusively to D23 Expo attendees for a minimum donation of $100 or more to the Annette Funicello Research Fund.

Please stop by the Saturdays Toys booth at  D23 (Exhibit Hall A on the far North end of Mickey Avenue) to check it out. I’ll be there from 4-5 on Friday to sign both Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney’s Hollywood Studios books. Your purchase of these signed copies go completely toward the Annette Funicello Research Fund. So get great stuff while doing something important for those needing help.

We look forward to seeing all of you at D23!

Update!

We had a great time at D23 and thanks to all who came by and visited us. We sold out of the books that we dedicated to the Annette Funicello Fund. Thanks to all!