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Home > How to Help > Events NewsEvents NewsOperation Smile Jr. Smile Collection Event Helps Children Around the WorldOn May 22, the Jr. Smile Collection Event was held at Espace. This black-tie fund-raising event, organized by motivated teens from across Manhattan, included dinner, a runway show, silent auction, and after party. New York City business leaders, members of the fashion industry, and the philanthropically-minded elite lent their support. The evening was hosted by Amanda Cole and Leven Rambin of television’s “All My Children.” The evening’s premiere sponsors included Seth Greenberg and the team of Capitale and Espace; AriZona Beverage Company, Dylan’s Candy Bar; The Moinian Group, and Tiffany & Co. Seth Greenberg and the team of Capitale and Espace graciously donated the dinner for the evening’s event and Dylan’s Candy Bar supplied custom made candy centerpieces.
Operation Smile Hosts Second Annual Breakfast for SmilesThe longest running Operation Smile Chapter, established 23 years ago, is in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utah Chapter hosted its Second Annual Breakfast for Smiles on May 7 raised more than $250,000. More than 150 community and business leaders attended the event as well as Operation Smile Co-founders Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee. The event was emceed by Carole Mikita of KSL-TV Channel 5 and Jeanette Lynton, CEO and Founder of Close To My Heart, served as honorary chairperson and the keynote speaker. Lynton witnessed Operation Smile’s work when she participated on a medical mission in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October 2007. Utah leaders who donated major gifts included Robert Freeze, Vice President of Public Relations, XanGo, LLC, for the company’s commitment of $200,000 for medical missions in Mexico. In addition, Close To My Heart recently contributed $100,000 with an additional $150,000 commitment announced at the event. And Melvyn Reeves, CLU, Bountiful, Utah, presented a $25,000 grant from the MDRT Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Million Dollar Round Table. Additional donations were received from The Sorenson Legacy Foundation ($50,000) and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation ($25,000). Guests heard from Thayne Shaffer, Vice President/Controller of America First Credit Union, who joined a group of credit union executives from around the USA and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, in September 2007. This project raised money for children’s charities, including $14,000 for Operation Smile. Breakfast attendees were also treated to a special performance by entertainers David, Doug and Nathan Osmond. Special thanks to Utah-based Operation Kids, which has been instrumental in securing donations and providing invaluable assistance to the work and mission of Operation Smile worldwide.
Second Annual Fore the Kids Golf Tournament in Greensboro, North CarolinaOperation Smile of the Carolinas hosted the Second Annual Fore the Kids Golf Tournament on the championship course of Bryan Park on May 9. The event raised more than $20,000 thanks to the players and sponsors: NewBridge Bank, Pepsi Bottling Ventures, Land Rover of Greensboro, Joe and Kathy Landing, Lindbrook Development, Dr. Anthony Nottage, D.D.S., Compass Financial and Terminix. After a day of golf, everyone enjoyed a cookout dinner and an awards presentation for the winning teams. Great raffle prizes were awarded throughout the evening including golf clothing and gift certificates to a local golf course, spa and restaurants. There was also a silent auction for a week long stay at a beautiful beach getaway. The winning foursome was Tony Nottage, Jim Tanner, Neal Kennedy and Will Larkin. “Longest drive” winners were George Hoyle and Jason McCord. The event was chaired by Dr. Tony Nottage. Other volunteers included: Kathy Landing, Shirley Nixon, Wendy Rothstein, Rich Rothstein, Steve Ringrose, Kini Johnson, Anna Seaford, Kate Westmoreland, Thor Rasmussen, Bob Singer and Sharron Frahm.
DKNY and InStyle “Picture Yourself” Event at Saks Fifth Avenue Benefits Operation SmileDKNY, InStyle, and Saks Fifth Avenue partnered to help Operation Smile kick off its 2008 Smile Gala, to be held in May. The “Smile Committee” for the gala hosted the April 10 cocktail party with the help of these three event sponsors. The reception, held at Saks Fifth Avenue, was to celebrate DKNY’s newest collection and the new partnership with InStyle.
Guests were invited to step into DKNY’s photo booth to have their picture taken to benefit Operation Smile. Those guests who made a purchase during the event received a DKNY picture frame for their photos taken that evening. VIP attendees at the Thursday evening reception included: DKNY CEO, Mark Weber, Saks CEO, Steve Sadove, In Style Managing Editor, Charla Lawhon and Operation Smile “Smile Committee” members and supporters: Byrdie Bell, Martin Dawson, Elizabeth Meigher, Gillian Hearst Simonds, Kipton Cronkite, Jamie Korey, Dabney Mercer, Tinsley Mercer Mortimer, Maggie Rizer, Luigi Tadini, Liz Walker, Chessy Wilson and Olivia Palermo
The partnership continued with an afternoon of shopping at Saks the following Saturday. The events raised more than $8,000 combined to benefit Operation Smile. Grand Opening of Operation Smile South Florida officeOperation Smile celebrated the grand opening of its South Florida office during a cocktail on March 13th. The reception in partnership with Ocean Drive magazine and Joley restaurant and lounge, was hosted by Vanessa and Donald Trump Jr. who serve as Smile Ambassadors for Operation Smile. The event raised more than $30,000 and attracted 300 plus attendees including South Florida's most prominent philanthropists, business leaders, cultural contributors and Operation Smile volunteers, as well as Satcha Pretto, co-host of Univision's daily newsmagazine "Primer Impacto," named as a new addition to Operation Smile's Smile Ambassadors at the event.
The Miami office will serve to recruit South Florida volunteers and physicians to support the organization’s programs around the globe. In addition, the office will serve to build relationships with potential donors and raise awareness of the life-changing work the organization performs on behalf of children and young adults that would otherwise not be able to live a normal life. 2008 Strikes for Smiles Bowl-a-ThonOn Saturday, February 23, the North Carolina Chapter of Operation Smile hosted its 6th annual Strikes for Smiles Bowl-a-Thon, raising nearly $9,800.00. Approximately 40 bowlers attended this event at Gate City Lanes which was co-sponsored by students from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Speech and Hearing Department. The university was represented by several teams and seniors Anna Seaford and Kini Johnson, who served as co-chairs of this year’s event.
Prizes were awarded to the bowler that solicited the highest dollar amount of sponsorships and to the team that as a whole solicited the highest amount. There was also a raffle with approximately 20 smaller prizes being awarded. Those prizes were donated by local business, such as McDonald’s, Panera Bread, Chick-fil-a, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Bruegger’s Bagels and several local cinemas. Westbend Vineyards, a local North Carolina winery, donated a 4-bottle sample basket that was part of the silent auction. Every participant received a complimentary “Be Someone” t-shirt to remember the day. South Carolina's World Journey of Smiles Inaugural Gala Raises More Than $110,000One of the many special celebrations recognizing Operation Smile's 25th Anniversary this past fall was an inaugural World Journey of Smiles gala held November 30 at The Harbour Club in Charleston, South Carolina. Featuring cocktails, dinner and a live auction, organizers raised approximately $110,000 during this initial effort to establish an Operation Smile presence in South Carolina.
The goal of the gala's organizers was to generate enough support for Operation Smile to fund a new medical mission country. "Participants enjoyed both an elegant dinner and a beautiful program," said Kathy Landing, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Carolinas Chapter and S.C. gala co-chair. "We were especially pleased to have the evening culminate with our revealing the name of the new mission country, Haiti, to be supported through funds raised at the S.C. inaugural gala." Local surgeon Dr. Louie Costa and his wife, Cindy, were honorary co-chairs of the event. "A smile has extraordinary power that most of us take for granted," Dr. Costa said, "but being denied this gift at birth can lead to a lifetime of hopelessness and despair." He added that volunteers from all walks of life in Charleston – medical, non-medical, businesspeople and students – came together to organize this event with one goal in mind: helping children in need all around the world lead healthy, normal lives. A highlight of the evening was remarks by Operation Smile Co-founder Dr. William Magee. Live auction items included trips, art, VIP basketball tickets, make-overs, a full orthodontia procedure, and the opportunity to go on an Operation Smile medical mission. Local designers donated their time and talent to create beautiful table settings for the event, with each table representing one of the countries served by Operation Smile. Participants voted on their favorite tables; David Singleton of eventsublime, who decorated the "India" table, won a $100 gift certificate to Mercado restaurant. Second prize went to the Hat Divas for their table depicting Thailand. They also received a gift certificate. Click here to see archived 2007 News Click here to see archived 2006 News Click here to see archived 2005 News |
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