Friday, April 24, 2015 — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The 2015 Grin Gala will celebrate over 220,000 life-changing surgical interventions provided in 60+ countries across the globe alongside the thousands of smiles Operation Smile aspires to deliver this year.

Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft. These children encounter incredible obstacles. Ostracized from a life of everyday normalcy they are ridiculed, unable to properly eat or speak, attend school and are vulnerable to a higher rate of respiratory infection as well as other infectious diseases and malnutrition. In too many cases, they face uncertain futures because of limited access to healthcare and strained financial resources.

Friday, April 24, 2015, marks Operation Smile’s 32nd Anniversary and the 8th year of the Annual Grin Gala. In addition to funding much needed surgeries for children around the world, the event will support a new, ambitious program piloted by Operation Smile. From May 16th -24th, over 150 medical volunteers will travel to 4 sites in Nicaragua, as well as aboard the United States Naval Ship Comfort, to provide over 400 life changing surgical interventions to children. These missions will be conducted in memory of our beloved Grin Gala Chairman, Clint Wheeler, continuing his legacy, his interminable and impassioned efforts to help vulnerable children born with cleft lips and cleft palates across the globe. The missions are a part of Operation Smile’s Global Cleft Eradication Campaign, recently launched in 8 partner countries to provide specialized surgical care for annual cleft cases while simultaneously tackling the surgical backlog of those left untreated.

We are excited for you to join us in this celebration and to help us change the lives of children, one smile at a time!

Should you wish to learn more and potentially serve on an event committee, please contact Olivia Klipa at oliviak@webstergroupinc.com