This Sunday Boston University's Operation Smile club did our part to help out The American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. The event is a massive undertaking that usually raises 3 million dollars in the Boston area alone. Since the organization, like Op Smile, only employs a small staff, they rely on student volunteers to make the event happen. A week before the event we attended a training session to learn about the cause and understand our role. On the day of the walk we met up on campus at 6am (an accomplishment for any college student on a Sunday) and headed out to the walk. We were then placed in assigned roles working to register participants and collect literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. We got to talk to individuals, families and teams that were all rallying around a cause they believed in. It was inspiring to see how much money these people raised from their friends and families and how much dedication they had to philanthropy.
Although the event was not directly related to Operation Smile, we were able to serve our community, bond a club, and build leadership skills. Boston University provides the majority of student volunteers for the event, so we were proud to help our school be the change we want to see in the world.
Op Smile at BU had the chance to assist a highly successful event and consequently gained skills to put on similar events in the future.
Breast cancer is one of the most visible causes in America. Organizations like The American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen spread awareness on an amazing scale in campaigns ranging from relatively simple charity walks to the lids on your yogurt, from claiming the entire month of October to decking out NFL teams in pink gear. There will always be great causes to fight for. Each cause is backed by passionate individuals who are making a positive impact in the world. It seems incredibly clear that breast cancer organizations have put their issues to the forefront of the American consciousness. There is something that we as Operation Smile volunteers and as leaders can learn from their passion and striking ability to share their cause.
Like cancer, a facial deformity, such as a cleft lip or cleft palate has a profound impact on individuals, families, and societies as a whole. We quickly learned that breast cancer gains so much awareness because organizations tap into that sense of community. It was amazing to see thousands of people from all different walks of life come together to support someone they knew. These organizations think big, uniting supporters under one national campaign. What international campaign can we work on together?
In order to spread more awareness about Operation Smile, we need to develop the public's understanding of how facial deformities affect communities and impact everyone. Fortunately the concept of "community"has grown beyond our neighborhoods to include the entire world. In an increasingly globalized world, one can not help but feel that we are all connected--especially through the universal language of a smile. Although our nation is blessed with better nutrition, advanced pre-natal care, more economic oppirtunity, and skilled medical professionals, most of the world is not as lucky and thus have higher rates of facial deformities. Co-founder of Operation Smile, Dr. Bill Magee, often states that if the hand of fate were to roll the dice again, the overwhelming odds would be that we would be that child picking rice for his family, struggling to make ends meet. So how can we show that a child with a facial deformity in Ethiopia is just as important as a child around the corner?
Operation Smile at BU had an amazing time at the Making Strides walk. We felt proud of our ability to help others and grateful for the lessons learned at the event. Hopefully we can work together to come up with new ways to spread awareness and make a difference in the world.
