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.
"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
nbell@smiletrain.org| (646) 829-0996
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SOURCE Smile Train