We have burst through the halfway point with two huge donations from the United States! But this has hardly been an American affair. These last couple weeks were extremely international.

The blogsite is now in German, courtesy of Jacqueline Allert of Berlin, Germany. I started to do the translation myself and then realized that my Kinderdeutsch would need a bit of bolstering. Jacqueline offered to help and has donated lots of time and energy making this site international. Many thanks to Jacqueline!

We have also added donors from Austria, Canada, Ghana, Greece, and Romania! Our 44 donors from 11 countries have already given enough for 57 operations – that’s almost $15,000 in direct donations!!! Many thanks to those who have given! 100% of your donations allow the Smile Train to help kids like Avula Naga Raju, who is pictured below. Just have a look at what kind of impact $250 of your money can have.

Both of Avula’s parents work as laborers earning about 60 rupees (or just over $1.50) a day. Not only does the family have no land for farming, they don’t even have a house. They live in temporary tenements which shift from farm to farm wherever they can find work and in government welfare hostel for the low castes when there is no work.

The doctor who performed Avula’s surgery made the following comment: “If you cover the lower half of the face in the both pre operative and post operative photos, and keep them beside each other, (so as to not show either the cleft or the repair) you will notice a new sense of self-confidence in him. I am more satisfied at this change, than the repair itself”

This new sense of self confidence is evident in every picture that I have seen of a child who has received this marvelous surgery. Not only does your donation correct a physical deformity, it instills a sense of self worth in a child who might otherwise have little or none. To make such an impact for only $250 is incredible!

Remember, if you are an ADC employee, then the ADC Foundation will match up to $1,000 of your contribution and it doesn’t count against your individual annual matching-gift program limits. No paperwork to fill out, just donate and email me (seth.cochran@gmail.com) and we will take care of the rest!

After almost five weeks of fundraising, we have raised just over $8,500 in direct donations to The Smile Train! This is enough for 33 operations, which means we have raised 33% of the goal! So far, we have 26 donors from 6 different countries. Many thanks to those who have given!

100 % of your donations to The Smile Train go to helping kids like Guo Sen. Just have a look at what kind of impact $250 of your money makes.

The Smile Train’s mission is to help one child, one family at a time. Your gift makes a tangible and direct impact on the lives of these families. I mean, $250 to make a such a difference - what a deal!

Summit for Smiles has had some very exciting developments in the last several weeks.

Julep’s Berlin is newest Summit for Smiles sponsor! Besides making a sponsorship level donation to The Smile Train, Julep’s is also spreading the word by including information about the project in their weekly menu. I am very excited to have Brian Hawe, the General Manager of Julep’s, on board as a partner. This bar and restaurant serves the best cocktails in the city and as well as superb weekly dinner specials. Try Julep’s for yourself – I guarantee your first visit will not be your last!

Another exciting addition to the Summit for Smiles effort is the contribution that Shannon Dugan, currently a resident of Washington D.C., has made. Shannon heard about Summit for Smiles from a friend and despite being a student, Shannon found some room in her budget to help support the cause. But Shannon wanted to do more, so she wrote all her friends and family and solicited several additional donations. Shannon still thought she could do more, so she set up a small donation center at Buzz, the coffee shop where she works. Within just a couple days, Shannon’s tip jar, turned collection plate had collected well over $250! It just goes to show you that pulling together lots of small donations can have a really big impact! Shannon’s actions have already motivated over $750 in donations and more are coming in every day.

Lots of people have asked me why I set such an aggressive goal, especially given the limited time frame. Well, the truth is, the goal was well beyond what I initially calculated was probable to achieve. I just hoped that people would really get behind an effort like Summit for Smiles. So far, my hopes have been exceeded. We have so many great and generous donors from all over the world! With great sponsors like ADC and Julep’s, and enthusiastic supporters like Shannon Dugan, I have no doubt that we can raise the $25,000 needed to help 100 children!

Remember, if you are an ADC employee, then the ADC Foundation will match up to $1,000 of your contribution and it doesn’t count against your individual annual matching-gift program limits. No paperwork to fill out, just donate and email me (seth.cochran@gmail.com) and we will take care of the rest!