The Smile Train

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of World Smile Day®, actress, singer, and Smile Train ambassador, Elizabeth Gillies, joins Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused organization, at the iconic Empire State Building in New York City to shine a light on a birth difference that impacts millions around the world – cleft lip and cleft palate. Gillies and Smile Train's President and CEO, Susannah Schaefer, offered remarks before flipping the ceremonial switch to illuminate the Empire State Building in Smile Train's signature blue color. Continue Reading NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: (L-R) Smile Train CEO Susannah Schaefer and Elizabeth Gillies visit the Empire State Building in Honor of World Smile Day on October 04, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust) "This year is our 25th anniversary. Since Smile Train began in 1999, we've partnered with local medical professionals in over 95 countries to provide more than 2 million safe, high-quality cleft surgeries for free. Of course, 2 million surgeries are much more than a statistic. These are lives changed – and, in many cases, saved. And, with each patient we help treat, we are also serving a family and indeed a whole community," said Schaefer. The event is part of Smile Train's Lighting Up the World with Smiles campaign. Alongside the Empire State Building, other iconic landmarks that are shining bright today in support of Smile Train include the iconic BT Tower in London, the magnificent Gateway of India, the Rizal Monument in the Philippines, Niagara Falls and numerous other landmarks across the United States. "Many people don't realize that clefts are not just cosmetic – in fact, a cleft lip or palate can be a matter of life and death. A cleft can affect a baby's ability to feed and even to breathe," said Gillies, "I'm so proud to partner with Smile Train in support of this incredible work. As we light up the sky around the world, I hope we all remember that behind every light, there are countless children and families whose lives have been transformed because of the work Smile Train does, and countless more to come," said Gillies. The global illumination of dozens of landmarks is a vibrant display of solidarity and support for children with clefts, a life-altering (and sometimes life-threatening) facial difference that causes challenges with eating, breathing, speaking, and hearing. A cleft is the most common facial difference globally – every three minutes a baby is born with a cleft, affecting around 1 in 700 newborns. World Smile Day ® is celebrated annually on the first Friday in October. It's a day devoted to smiles and acts of kindness. First celebrated in 1999, World Smile Day seeks to reclaim the original meaning and intent of the iconic smiley face image by encouraging people to act kindly and make a person smile. As supporters rally to take part in this global celebration, Smile Train encourages everyone to share their smiles and spread joy, highlighting the crucial work being done to provide free cleft surgery, care, and support to children in need. ABOUT SMILE TRAIN: Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org. Media Contact: Nicole Bell| Public Relations [email protected]| (646) 829-0996 SOURCE Smile Train WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

"Miles for Smiles: Run 50 Strong" to Raise Awareness and Funds for Children Born with a Facial Difference CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Force pilot, Jeremy Hough and his wife, Kelly, along with their teen daughters, Campbell and Caroline, will embark on an ambitious, country-wide journey. This week, the family will load up their RV for a 50-day adventure, running a 5K in each of the 50 states and the nation's capital. Continue Reading Miles for Smiles: Run 50 Strong: The Hough family speaks about their ambitions endeavor to run a 5k in all 50 states and the nation’s capital to benefit Smile Train. The adventure, "Miles for Smiles: Run 50 Strong," will begin in Anchorage, Alaska on September 11th and conclude on October 31st in Maui, Hawaii. The goal is to raise awareness for the cleft community, connecting with other cleft-affected families, and supporting Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused nonprofit. "My daughter Campbell was born with a cleft. She was fortunate enough to receive some of the best care in the United States," said Jeremy Hough. "We know that too many children around the world don't have access to proper high-quality cleft care. We're running to help make a difference." Clefts are the most common facial difference worldwide, affecting approximately 1 in 700 babies. The condition can make it difficult to speak, eat, hear, and breathe. Campbell is the inspiration for her family teaming up with Smile Train – a global organization that has supported 2 million free cleft surgeries. "I'm proud to partner with Smile Train because I know the work they do is lifesaving. As a cleft-affected person, I want to help ensure the global cleft community is seen, heard, and supported," said Campbell. The Hough family, who live in North Carolina, are not only active supporters of Smile Train but also founders of Team EMPOWER, the organization's endurance athletic program. Their commitment has been demonstrated through numerous events, including the Big Sur Marathon in 2012, Ironman Lake Placid in 2013, Ironman Kona in 2018, and Ironman Florida in 2019. To date, the Houghs have raised nearly $100,000 for Smile Train, funding vital cleft treatments for thousands of children across more than 75 countries. For a list of dates and locations outlining when the family will be in your state – click HERE. The Hough family has a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for Smile Train - click HERE. About Smile Train : Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org. Media Contact: Nicole Bell | Public Relations [email protected] | (646) 829-0996 SOURCE Smile Train

"Smile Train at 25: $69 Billion in Impact" showcases the cost-effectiveness of investing in global healthcare and integrating comprehensive cleft care into health systems as the organization marks 25 years of global cleft care NEW YORK, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, ahead of Global Surgery Day and the 77th World Health Assembly, Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused organization, with a sustainable and local model of supporting surgery and other forms of essential cleft care, released a newly published study that lays out the real-world return on their investments in communities worldwide. The report, titled " Smile Train at 25: $69 Billion in Impact," features new data measuring the economic impact and value that comes with 25 years of transforming cleft care. Smile Train's work has boosted economies by $69 billion in more than 90 countries around the world and has regained 11 million total productive life years globally by cleft surgery patients - measured in averted disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). "We're thrilled to share this latest study showcasing the economic impact of our work," said Susannah Schaefer, President and CEO, Smile Train. "$69 billion put back into local economies around the world is no small feat, and these incredibly impactful numbers are all thanks to the dedicated efforts of our worldwide team who understand and prioritize our sustainable and local model of supporting surgery and other forms of essential cleft care. It's time that the international medical community follows suit and recognizes the cost-effectiveness of integrating comprehensive cleft care into their health systems in order to provide every child with a cleft in need the access to the care they deserve and the future they can achieve for themselves, their families, and their communities." For as little as $400 committed toward one cleft surgery, as much as $60,000 is put back into the local economy, as former cleft patients go on to contribute to economic output and lead full, productive lives. This amounts to a more than 150x return on investment for a single cleft surgery. Over the past 25 years, Smile Train has seen the impact of supporting timely, affordable, high-quality cleft surgery for those who need it most. Since inception, the organization has sponsored more than two million cleft surgeries, awarded more than $38 million in education and training grants to medical professionals, supported 600,000+ families with funding for costs related to accessing cleft care, worked with more than 6,000 partner surgeons and 4,000 partner healthcare centers. The data in this study quantifies that surgical care is a sound investment and a cost-effective intervention that yields substantial economic returns for individuals, nations, and for the global economy. The study is a follow up to a 2016 study published in World Journal of Surgery about the societal gain provided by Smile Train's global cleft surgical intervention program, based on eleven years of data (2001-2011). This new study provides an updated analysis with an additional eleven years of data (2012-2023) and was conducted using data from 1,486,131 Smile Train patient records of primary cleft procedures between 2001-2023. 58 percent of the records were cleft lip surgeries, and 42 percent were cleft palate surgeries. More information about the study and its methodology can be found here. ABOUT SMILE TRAIN: Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org. MEDIA CONTACT: Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis [email protected] SOURCE Smile Train