Operation Smile is proud to announce the Kickin’ it Locally, Smilin’ Globally campaign, an ongoing partnership with Rush Soccer Club which represents over 34,000 youth soccer players nationwide. Virginia Rush is piloting the program with its 6,000 players and implementing the curriculum that will be used for Rush Soccer Clubs around the country. The goal of the partnership is to cultivate a passion in our young athletes to help change the world.
The first event of the partnership, Rush for Smiles, will be held on Saturday, October 2 from 3-7 p.m. Virginia Rush is hosting its first-annual player-driven dodgeball tournament at the Virginia Beach Field House. Ten local middle schools are competing, and the teams’ registration fee is $240 – which is how little it costs Operation Smile to give a child with a cleft lip a new smile.
Most teams are hosting in-school fundraisers to raise the team fee, such as selling ice pops at school sports team tryouts and games. Local Navy volunteers will act as referees. The event is open to the public. Tickets are just $2 and are available at the door on the day of the event. Participating schools include Landstown Middle, Lynnhaven Middle, Great Neck Middle, Kemps Landing Magnet, Plaza MYP, St. Gregory the Great, Princess Anne Middle, Virginia Beach Middle, Cape Henry Collegiate and Baylake Pines.
Operation Smile Student Programs is working with the support of Rush coaches to embed community service opportunities into the current soccer schedule. Beginning at a young age, players will become exposed to the needs of others worldwide, in an effort to foster a desire to take action and make a difference. The curriculum is designed to encourage Rush players to develop character and leadership skills, travel nationally and internationally, learn more about Operation Smile and its mission, as well as fundraise for children around the world who suffer from cleft lips and cleft palates. The curriculum opportunities vary with age and experience. To facilitate the program, 32 Rush players were chosen as Operation Smile Team Ambassadors, to act as the link between Operation Smile and Rush teams.
Rush chose to partner with Operation Smile because of the charity’s well-developed Student Programs department. Thousands of students in more than 600 schools – in more than 30 countries around the world – are involved in Operation Smile’s Student Programs. Through service and leadership, Operation Smile students make a difference in the lives of children worldwide. Since the program began, hundreds of students have participated on medical missions to countries such as the Philippines, Kenya, Cambodia, Brazil, Jordan, China and many other countries in the developing world.
Every 3 minutes, it is estimated that a child is born with a cleft condition. One in 10 children born with a cleft will die before their first birthday. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, Operation Smile provides free surgeries to children around the world suffering from cleft lips and cleft palates to heal their smiles and transform their lives.
"The opportunity for our players to participate in personal development with a first-class organization is fantastic,” said David Dengerink, President and Technical Director of Virginia Rush. “Players are now afforded to opportunity to give back in a very impactful way, while developing their leadership skills, both in terms of being soccer players and members of the community. We could not ask for a better partner.”
To find out more information about the Rush Soccer program and its Operation Smile partnership, please visit www.operationsmile.org/rush or contact Brigette Clifford, Event Coordinator at bclifford2@cox.net. For updates on Operation Smile’s global efforts, visit the daily blogs on www.operationsmile.org, follow @operationsmile on Twitter, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/operationsmile.
