Call 1-888-OPSMILE to donate Home | Contact Us | Quick Facts | News & Press |
|||||||||||||
    Be a Medical Volunteer |
Home > News & Press > News Archive: 2005News Archive: 2005Jessica Simpson in KenyaJessica Simpson joined the Operation Smile international medical mission in Nakuru, Kenya in late October. Ms. Simpson assisted the volunteer team with the medical evaluations of the more than 280 patients who came to the remote site with the hopes of receiving life-changing corrective surgery. Ms. Simpson helped direct the children as they awaited their turn, giving them special gifts and spreading laughter and cheer. Operation Smile has been honored to have Jessica Simpson serve as its International Youth Ambassador since 2003 when her good friend and hairstylist, Ken Pavés introduced her to the organization. Helping to spread awareness for the organization, Ms. Simpson has performed at Operation Smile's Los Angeles Gala in 2003 and gave a benefit concert as part of NBC's reality hit, "The Apprentice," in front of a packed house at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. More. In 2004, Ms. Simpson and her husband, Nick Lachey were presented with the Operation Smile's Universal Smile Award at the Third Annual Los Angeles Gala. ) Photo by Paul Fetters During the Kenya medical mission, Ms. Simpson witnessed the medical volunteers' skills first-hand by donning scrubs and joining Operation Smile co-founder, Dr. Bill Magee and the surgical team in the operating room. Simpson also formed a special bond with one child, 1-1/2-year-old Boke whose father had sold one of his six cows, his only source of income, for money to travel 12 hours in the hopes of receiving surgery for his little girl. Simpson saw Boke through her evaluation and surgery and she comforted Boke as she was put under anesthesia, and then delivered her back to her father after her recovery. From October 26 to November 6, 2005, Operation Smile teams of international volunteer medical professionals conducted medical missions in three cities in Kenya providing free treatment and aftercare to children and young adults suffering from facial deformities. Medical and non-medical volunteers from Canada, Hong Kong, Italy, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States provided surgery to more than 380 children and young adults in Nairobi, Nakuru and Mombasa. ) Photo by Joe Simpson )
Operation Smile Helps Victims of Hurricane KatrinaSeveral Operation Smile headquarters volunteers learned that realtors in Hampton Roads, Virginia, were helping in the relief effort for those devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The group was filling a tractor trailer with basic daily living items to be sent to the victims. On September 7, Operation Smile volunteers Jim and Bev Weber, Jim Early, Pat Holleran and Bill Atilis packed more than 50 boxes of shampoo, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. ) These five dedicated volunteers are from the Hampton Roads community and volunteer at Operation Smile's headquarters on a weekly basis. They loaded approximately 1,400 pounds of these items into the Operation Smile van which were later loaded onto the tractor trailer heading to the devastation zone. Operation Smile has an excess of these donated toiletries and is happy to contribute them to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.First Data's STAR Network Teams with Operation Smile to Drive DonationsIn June, the "Delivering Smiles Worldwide" campaign was launched to increase awareness for Operation Smile and encourage contributions. If you live in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas or Miami, you may have noticed tractor trailers rolling down the highway featuring images of Operation Smile children before and after surgery, the logo, website address, and toll-free number. Swift Transportation donated the use of the side and back panels of 60 of its new trailers and the signage on the 54-foot-long trailers was donated by First Data Corp.'s STAR Network, a coast-to-coast electronic payments network and expert in secure, real-time electronic transactions.
"Our support of Operation Smile matches First Data's core values," said Debra Janssen, president, First Data Debit Services, which features the STAR Network. "We are committed to supporting educational, health and human service programs that improve and enhance the lives of individuals, families and communities most in need." Swift Transportation chairman and CEO, Jerry Moyes, serves on Operation Smile's Board of Governors. He said, "When traveling on medical missions, I have seen first hand the tremendous impact Operation Smile has on a child's life. It is an honor for Swift to help increase the awareness of this life-changing project and encourage others, like myself, to contribute." Click here to donate... Click here for press release... Operation Smile Student Volunteer's Experience Inspires Film "Smile"Now Available on DVD An Operation Smile student volunteer's experience on a medical mission, was the inspiration for the feature film "Smile." Written and directed by Jeff Kramer, "Smile" stars Beau Bridges, Sean Astin, Cheri Oteri, Linda Hamilton, Mika Boorem "Blue Crush," Yi Ding "Joy Luck Club," Erik von Detten "Princess Diaries," and Luoyong Wang -Broadway's "Miss Saigon." The film "Smile," is one of the first feature films in decades to be fully licensed by the Chinese Government for release and production in that country prior to filming by a western filmmaker, premiered in the Los Angeles and San Francisco/Bay Area markets. A portion of the film's proceeds will go to Operation Smile.
The inspiration for the movie happened several years ago. In 2001, Katharine Kramer, a 15-year old senior high school student in Malibu, Calif., and the daughter of "Smile" writer/director Jeff Kramer, joined her school's Operation Smile club to raise money for children with facial deformities. The following year, she participated as a student educator on an Operation Smile mission. Moved by his daughter's experience, Mr. Kramer realized that his daughter had grown into a more well-rounded and caring person and he was inspired to write "Smile." Mr. Kramer said, "The practical relations between parents and their children, no matter what country or culture they are from, are basically the same. We all want our children to be educated, healthy and respected. I have tried to present 'Smile' in an artistic and beautiful way. People who watch this film are often moved to tears, through their smiles." Regarding the film, Dr. Bill Magee, Operation Smile CEO and Co-founder, said, "We are honored that this movie grew out of a father's desire to document his own daughter's inspirational experiences during an Operation Smile medical mission to the Philippines. We believe in the importance of empowering young people with a sense of service and leadership. And knowing that a portion of this movie's proceeds will benefit our programs will help us to help more children around the world. That is a real reason to 'Smile.'"
In the movie, Katie (Mika Boorem,) a teenage girl from Malibu, Calif., finds herself in the throes of growing up, facing her parents (Beau Bridges and Linda Hamilton,) her boyfriend (Erik von Detten,) her sexuality and a very privileged life. Half a world away in rural China, Lin (Yi Ding,) born on the same day as Katie, faces a much different reality. Because of a severe facial deformity, she lives a life of fear and shame. Her father, Daniel (Luoyong Wang,) has devoted his life to her, with hopes and dreams that her circumstances will change one day. The opportunity comes with the discovery of the worldwide "Doctor's Gift" program. Inspired by one of her teachers (Sean Astin,) Katie volunteers and comes to China. Once there, she is deeply touched by the charity's work and her roommate/surgical nurse (Cheri Oteri.) Katie takes off on her own into the heart of China to find Lin. A "smile" is brought to Lin's face, Katie finds her soul, and their extraordinary connection becomes a life-changing experience for both teenage girls. Action Outreach Partnered with Operation Smile to Help Children in ChinaMedical Mission Conducted in Conjunction with Race Through China's Gobi Desert  From April 22-27, Operation Smile conducted a mission in Xi'an, China, and provided 166 children with new smiles. The mission was made possible by Action Outreach's sponsorship and many dedicated competitors in the 2005 Gobi March endurance race.This medical mission was scheduled in conjunction with Racing The Planet's Gobi March 2005, which took place April 24-30, and is a six-stage, 250-km (150 mile) footrace across China's Gobi Desert. During the race, competitors carried all their own food, gear and clothing while navigating through about 30 checkpoints. Action Outreach, with a team of 18 Gobi March competitors, sponsored the Xi'an, China, mission.  Greg Baker of Virginia, an experienced marathon runner and 16-year employee of Nike, competed on the Action Outreach team. Baker, who is 50 years old, finished first in his age group. Baker said, "Symbolically, during the race I'm alone in the desert dealing with adversity. I can relate to that loneliness and the obstacles faced by the children who need these surgeries. This race is an opportunity for me to bring a lot of hope to a lot of children." Prior to the race, Baker, attended Operation Smile's medical mission in Xi'an to visit with children receiving free medical evaluations. Baker was touched by the experience and had a great time playing and laughing with the children he met.
Baker is familiar with Operation Smile, having been a patient of Dr. Bill Magee, Operation Smile CEO and Co-founder. Dr. Magee diagnosed Baker with Perry Romberg Syndrome, which caused atrophy on the right side of his face and left him without a left ear canal and poor hearing in his right ear, and glaucoma in his right eye. Between 1995-2003, he underwent nine surgeries to correct the disfigurement. Although Baker is not an Operation Smile patient, the organization is close to his heart. In previous marathons, including similar endurance races across the Sahara and the Atcama Desert in Chile, he has raised more than $50,000 for Operation Smile. Baker said, "There were times I'd get in a different zone, realizing how small I am, unable to change others or the world. But we have the ability to impact others, learn from others and inspire others." At the conclusion of the race, an emotional video from the Operation Smile mission was presented at the Gobi March Awards Banquet in Urumqi, China. This allowed competitors to see children before and after they received life-changing surgery. To learn more about Action Outreach, visit www.actionoutreach.org. For information about the Gobi March, please visit www.racingtheplanet.com. Safari of Smiles Gala Helps Children Around the World On June 4, the Michigan Friends of Operation Smile hosted "Safari of Smiles," a fabulous benefit evening for 400 guests at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester. Guests embarked on an African safari led by the evening's emcees, Monica Gayle, FOX 2 News Anchor and NBA Champion John Salley.Read more... 
Smile Collection Couture Event Helps Children Around the WorldTop names in fashion helped to make this year's Smile Collection couture event in New York an amazing success. On May 19, hundreds of friends of Operation Smile gathered at the Waterfront NY for dinner and a high energy fashion show. Read more... Operation Smile Co-founders Receive Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement Award On April 29, more than 800 people gathered at Salt Lake City's Grand America Hotel to honor Bill and Kathy Magee, Operation Smile Co-founders, and their work on behalf of children around the world. The Magees were presented with the 2005 Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement Award by Senator Orrin Hatch who received the award last year.
Read more...Physicians from 22 Countries Participated in Operation Smile's Physicians' Training Program) More than 60 physicians from 22 countries were in Norfolk, Va., to participate in Operation Smile's annual Physician's Training Program (PTP) from May 2-13. Since 1987, this conference has been a critical component of Operation Smile's training and education initiatives. PTP gives physicians from Operation Smile mission countries the opportunity to learn new surgical techniques and to expand their knowledge through lectures, lab rotations, and operation room observation. The goal of PTP is to train physicians to care for children in their own countries, furthering Operation Smile's mission of helping its partner countries attain self-sufficiency. The program also provides the opportunity for physicians from all over the world to share valuable medical and cultural knowledge and to observe and receive training on difficult craniofacial cases. PTP is a joint effort by Operation Smile, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Children's Hospital of The Kings Daughter's, and Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. To date, Operation Smile has brought more than 550 medical professionals to Norfolk, Virginia for PTP. Anesthesiologists attending the conference train at Tidewater Center for Life Support to receive Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications, required to participate in Operation Smile medical missions.Children from Iraq, Kenya and the Philippines Received Free Surgery May 10, 11 & 12During PTP, Operation Smile provided free reconstructive surgery to three World Care patients at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters. The World Care Program allows Operation Smile to care for children who require complex surgeries that cannot be performed during its medical missions due to limitations of time and equipment. Operation Smile arranges, through sponsorships, to have the patient and guardian travel to the United States and stay with a local host family for the operation and recovery period, which is approximately five weeks. This year's patients included returning World Care patient, Eman Hashim, a 14-year-old girl from Iraq. Following last year's initial 20-hour surgery to treat her hypertelorism, Eman received nasal and eyelid reconstruction surgery. Three-year-old Sharon Chebet from Kenya was another returning World Care patient. As part of Sharon's second surgery, she had her cleft palate repaired. And Mark Rieza is an eight-year-old boy from the Philippines who suffered from an encephalocele. During the operation and recovery period, the children stayed with volunteer host families in Virginia Beach, Va. JBI Technologies Swings into Action for Operation Smile) JBI Technologies held their first annual charity golf tournament to benefit Operation Smile on May 21, 2005. Twenty four golfers arrived at Renditions Golf Course in Davidsonville, Maryland, to participate in the fun. JBI Technologies raised $1,785 for Operation Smile through the event. The company hopes to make the event larger next year and help more children around the world.Operation Smile on NBC's "The Apprentice" Operation Smile was featured on NBC's hit reality show, "The Apprentice", during the two-hour finale on Thursday, April 15th. Kwame Jackson's final task was to organize a concert at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, given by Jessica Simpson, Operation Smile's International Youth Ambassador.Click here to see 2008 News Click here to see archived 2007 News Click here to see archived 2006 News |
 News & Press |
|||||||||||
|
©2006 Operation Smile Incorporated. All rights reserved. |
|||||||||||||
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)