Smile Train Partners with Seda Hotels to Raise Awareness for Children with Clefts

The world’s leading cleft charity, Smile Train has partnered with Seda Hotels for the third consecutive year to raise awareness for children with clefts through selling customized Smile Train ornaments and Christmas cards at each of their locations.

“For the first two years, we, the Seda Community and hotels and resorts under Ayala Land, were able to raise funds to support 100 cleft surgeries for Smile Train’s patients nationwide. We continue to partner with Smile Train as we aim to raise more funds to help support more children with clefts in the country,” said Senior Group General Manager of Seda Hotels Mr. Andrea Mastellone. “This holiday season, we invite our guests, employees, and partners to support us in this cause to help change the lives of many Filipino children, including their ability to eat, breathe, and speak.”

In celebration of their three-year partnership with Smile Train, Seda BGC hosted a tree lighting event for the benefit of Smile Train patients. Individuals brought their family and friends for a night of fun and to witness the beautiful lights. Apart from welcoming the Christmas season, the tree lighting ceremony also served as an appreciation party for Seda’s partners and clients, as well as a commemoration for the near-completion of its expansion tower.

“It is estimated that 5,000 babies are born with a cleft in the Philippines every year. As we celebrate our 20th year around the world, , we are thankful to our partners like Seda Hotels who have been enabling us to raise awareness and create a better future for children with clefts,” said Smile Train Area Director for South East Asia Kimmy Flaviano.

Since 1999, Smile Train, with the support of its donors and partners around the world, has supported more than 1.5 million cleft surgeries to children in need in their own communities. In the Philippines alone, Smile Train has supported more than 50,000 cleft surgeries since 2001.

For more information about Smile Train's global efforts and to make a donation, please visit smiletrain.org. To learn more about Smile Train’s programs in the Philippines, follow Smile Train on Twitter and Instagram @SmileTrainPh, and like us on Facebook at @SmileTrainPhilippines.

Smile Train Partners with Glad® Philippines to Host “Glad® To Give Smiles” Family Fair to Raise Awareness and for Children with Clefts

The world’s leading cleft charity, Smile Train, and food storage and cooking solutions provider Glad® Philippines recently held the Glad®-To-Give Smiles Family Fair to help spread smiles to Filipinos this Christmas season.

The Glad®-To-Give campaign is Glad®’s global corporate social responsibility platform. This year, the Glad®-To-Give Smiles Family Fair was filled with fun activities, delicious food stations and a cooking demonstration prepared by Glad®'s Ambassador, Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu.

Glad is ready to give a helping hand to working moms like Happy, as we navigate the Christmas season. Prep and cook without the mess using Glad's foils, cling wraps, Cook n' Bake and ovenware for your ready to serve dishes.

 "I am very proud to be a part of this meaningful campaign this holiday. It is an honor for me to help raise funds and awareness about Smile Train’s work in the Philippines,” said Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu.

The program was hosted by Ms. Suzi Abrera.  Other supporters include The Medical City, Alveo Land, Beyond® Yoga, Swell Sweets Cake Lab, and Ms. Natalia Santamaria Escano, who performed with Smile Train beneficiaries during the program.  Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Smile Train’s cleft programs in the Philippines.

Approximately 5,000 new babies with clefts are born every year in the Philippines. Without access to proper cleft treatment, these babies often have difficulty eating, breathing, speaking, and ultimately thriving. Smile Train’s sustainable model empowers local medical professionals with training and resources to provide 100 percent-free, quality, comprehensive, and safe cleft care to children in need in their own communities.

For more information about Smile Train's global efforts and to make a donation, please visit smiletrain.org. To learn more about Smile Train’s programs in the Philippines, follow Smile Train on Twitter and Instagram @SmileTrainPh, and like us on Facebook at @SmileTrainPhilippines.

Smile Train Partners with Lighthouse Club Manila to Create More Smiles

The world’s leading cleft charity, Smile Train and construction industry charity, Lighthouse Club Manila recently held a fundraising event to support their programs, namely, life-changing cleft treatment and scholarships of the Philippine construction community and its families.

The initiative was held in commemoration of World Smile Day®, an annual celebration every first Friday of October encouraging acts of kindness around the world.

“The booming construction sector in the Philippines calls for industry players to support the overall welfare of its employees and extend benefits to their families. Through this partnership with Smile Train, we aim to highlight the importance of the industry’s workforce and their contribution to building infrastructure for the country’s long-term progress,” says Lighthouse Club Manila Chairman, Mr. Samuel Powell.

The event welcomed a roster of talented musical theater artists such as Laurence Mossman and Tricia Canilao from the local adaptation of Kinky Boots, Canilao’s daughter Ornella Canilao-Buser, and Natalia Santamaria Escano from Annie the Musical. Valuable art pieces from local artists including renowned sculptor and abstract painter Manuel Baldemor, figurative painter Nilo Badojos, and abstract artist Chris Pizzaro, were also auctioned off during the fundraiser.

“As Smile Train celebrates its 20th Anniversary and bringing forever smiles to Filipinos, we recognize the role we play in uplifting lives and reaching out to more underserved sectors in our country. We look forward to partnering with more organizations that are passionate about our cause and vision of giving every child with a cleft the opportunity for a brighter future,” said Kimmy Coseteng-Flaviano, Smile Train’s Area Director for South East Asia.

Since 1999, Smile Train, with the support of its donors and partners around the world, have supported safe and quality cleft care for more than 1.5 million children and will continue to do so until every child in need with a cleft has access to the care they deserve.

For more information about Smile Train's global efforts and to make a donation, please visit smiletrain.org. Follow Smile Train on Twitter and Instagram @SmileTrainPh, and like us on Facebook at @SmileTrainPhilippines.