Volunteers can earn free Disney day

The helping hand you extend to others in 2010 may earn you a handshake from Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse or Snow White.

The program entitled "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" aims to inspire 1 million people to contribute a day of service to their local community organizations. Their generosity will be rewarded with a one-day, one theme-park ticket to Disneyland in California or Walt Disney World in Florida.

If you're interested in the "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" promotion, it's best to take advantage of it early before the slots fill up. More than 600,000 people already have volunteered or signed up for the program, said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Here are some tips about the volunteer/ticket program:

• To participate, you need to preregister and sign up through www.disneyparks.com(search for "volunteer").

• You must sign up with a participating organization that's listed on the Web site. Other volunteer activities do not qualify. You can search by ZIP code: in Western Washington there are dozens of groups participating, from outdoors groups to the Seattle Animal Shelter.

• Volunteer service must be verified. Once that's been done, you'll receive e-mail instructions on how to print a voucher to redeem the free theme park ticket at a theme park ticket booth.

• The program started Jan. 1 and will continue until all tickets are distributed or until Dec. 15, 2010, whichever comes first. There are some blackout dates for using the tickets, which are nontransferable.