Smile Foundation adds smiles to the faces of children

The saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ was displayed at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden as many individuals attended the Smile Foundation movie night in support of raising funds for children in need of surgery.

The Smile Foundation, situated in Hyde Park, is a non-governmental organisation created to provide surgical assistance to children with facial conditions. Running for more than 22 years, the organisation has devoted its time and energy to bring back children’s smiles with the help from communities and various organisations.

Smile Night, a movie at the park-themed event, organised by the Smile Foundation, had initially planned for 400 participants to attend the fundraising event but once doors opened, more than 900 individuals were seated in their camp chairs and on picnic mats. The movie selection of the night was the 2021 animation Raya and the Last Dragon which instantly brought joy to the hearts of the participants, especially the children, on February 12.

Lindsay van Rensburg, one of the participants who attended the event said, “It’s very important for us to help the children at the Smile Foundation. As they say, every child deserves a smile. That’s why I’m here with my family today, to ensure that a child has a smile.”

Despite a busy schedule, Toni Jabour, the marketing manager of the Smile Foundation took her time to express her thoughts of the atmosphere during the movie night.

“We decided in December that we will launch an outdoor event to raise money for children in need of surgery. The response was absolutely phenomenal, we advertised it on our social platforms and people really showed their support. We thank all of our surgeons, sponsors, volunteers, staff members, communities, children and Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden for allowing us to host,” concluded Jabour.

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https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/278850/sa-ngo-calls-for-publics-assistance-amid-major-backlog-of-child-surgeries/