My name is James Reid. I am a sophomore at Boston University and an avid supporter of Operation Smile. I am currently a member of Operation Smile’s College Council. It’s my role to grow and support university involvement at a local, regional, and international level. Less than two years ago, I learned that Eliza Boggia, now founder and president of Operation Smile at Fordham University, was interested in starting an Operation Smile club. Currently a senior, she saw this as an opportunity to leave a mark on her a school, a chance to make a positive impact both locally and internationally. I did what I could to offer advice on how to start a club, but in the end it came down to Eliza’s passion and dedication to a cause she loved. In about a year and a half, Eliza has mobilized an amazing group of students into forming an extremely impressive college club. All too often, students are stricken with collegiate apathy. Students who are involved in high school quickly lose focus and stop caring about helping others, so forming a successful club at a university level is no small feat.
For two years Fordham University’s club has been involved with two of Operation Smile’s biggest fundraising events, the Junior Smile Event and the Senior Smile event. The Junior Smile Collection Event is a formal benefit dinner, auction, and fashion show organized by high school volunteers who are on a selective committee. These are massive collection events that draw out some of New York’s most generous supporters. Both events raise literally hundreds of thousands of dollars for Operation Smile. When you think about how a surgery only costs $240, that’s a big deal! Fordham University has played a key role in making these events a success. This year Fordham’s club extended a generous offer to my club. Since many student volunteers in the area are vying to be involved in these glamorous events, it was honored when Fordham asked if two of our club members wanted to be involved.
OS at BU Vice President Shannon Kiang and I took a long weekend and headed down to New York to help with the Junior Smile Collection Event. Luckily I arrived on Thursday to be a part of Fordham University’s general club meeting. From the moment I walked in the door, I was blown away by the number of students eager to be involved. I know from personal experience that most clubs have a difficult time getting people to attend meetings and volunteer to take on responsibility, but not at Fordham! Students were circled around raising their hands, willing and able to do what they could to help the organization. While Eliza Boggia is undoubtedly a natural leader that has pushed this club into being an incredibly strong club, it was immediately evident that this club was full of many dedicated and passionate students that will only make the club even better over time.
The next day Fordham University took charge of a massive event. The Junior Smile Collection event took place at an amazing venue called Espace in Midtown Manhattan. It was an incredibly classy event filled with generous and glamorous students and adults. A reception, silent auction, dinner, live runway show, desert and dancing also featured a preformance by chart topping recording artist and producer, Jeremih. Somehow Fordham University went from helping the event to running the event in only a year’s time. While organizational committee and Operation Smile staff members had undertaken a huge effort to prepare for the event, the big day clearly rested on the able shoulders of Eliza Boggia and her team of leaders. The club was in charge of stuffing 450 gift bags with dozens of items in an incredibly limited amount of time. They set up and maintained the silent auction and check-in. They collected donation cards. Most importantly Fordham University students undertook the huge responsibility of fitting, organizing, and running the fashion show. They were in change thousands of dollars of clothing that was on loan while trying to make sure the runway walks went off without a hitch.
Despite the fact that Fordham University’s heroic efforts during the event went largely without thanks, it was absolutely clear that the event could not have gone without them. Fordham University club members should be incredibly proud of their involvement, and I hope their actions inspire others to get involved. Although my personal involvement was relatively small, I left extremely proud that I had been involved in such an amazing event. I truly felt like my small effort made a difference in the world.
James Reid
President
Operation Smile at Boston University
College Council
Operation Smile International
jamesonreid@gmail.com
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