Operation Smile to Launch Groundbreaking 140 Smiles Campaign on Twitter

Operation Smile announces the groundbreaking Twitter-based fundraising campaign 140 Smiles. Operation Smile medical volunteers repair childhood facial deformities, such as cleft lip and cleft palate, at no cost for children in need. A single surgery can take as few as 45 minutes and costs as little as $240.

The 140 Smiles campaign is aimed at raising funds for 140 reconstructive surgeries for children in need. Operation Smile has partnered with Common Knowledge and TWTRCON, the first Twitter for business conference to be held in San Francisco on May 31, to kick off the 140 Smiles campaign.

The 140 Smiles launch party will be held Saturday, May 30, 2009, at famed San Francisco restaurant Le Colonial and will be streamed live by Twooting.com. The event will be hosted by Twitter Smile Ambassador, Stefanie Michaels. Known by over 500,000 Twitter followers as Adventure Girl, Stefanie is a media entrepreneur, travel expert and Top 100 Twitterer. She will also be a featured speaker at TWTRCON. In addition to Stefanie Michaels, many of Twitter’s most popular users will help jumpstart this campaign by tweeting at the launch party and TWTRCON convention.

Prizes will be awarded at the launch party and TWTRCON to those who raise the most smiles through Twitter. The grand prize is a trip to New Zealand, donated by Entirely Kiwi, for the person or team leader who raises the most funds for smiles throughout the duration of the campaign. Anyone who participates in the 140 Smiles campaign through www.140smiles.org is eligible for this prize.

Starting May 30, supporters can visit www.140smiles.org to participate in the 140 Smiles campaign. Donations can be made by individuals or they can start a Twitter Smile Team and strive for a larger goal. The list of teams and donors will be streamed on the 140smiles website. Companies, brands and individuals will show their support in the “Team Giving Cloud” where their teams name will grow and change colors as the level of their donations increases. The goal of the campaign is to create a Twitter-based giving community to collectively reach the 140 Smiles goal.

Common Knowledge, an interactive agency for nonprofits, is leading the strategy and development of the 140 Smiles campaign as well as donating their services for the web design. Assisting with aspects of the campaign functionality is Modern Media partners, the company producing TWTRCON. After the 140 Smiles campaign, Operation Smile, Common Knowledge and Modern Media will publish a report of the results.

About Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org | www.twitter.com/operationsmile)
Operation Smile mobilizes a world of generous hearts to heal children's smiles and transform lives across the globe. Founded in 1982, Operation Smile, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is a worldwide organization that helps children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities and the organization has a presence in 51 countries. In addition to contributing free medical treatment, Operation Smile trains local medical professionals in its partner countries and leaves behind crucial equipment to lay the groundwork for long-term self-sufficiency.

About Common Knowledge (www.commonknow.com | www.twitter.com/commonknow)

Common Knowledge is an interactive agency helping nonprofits amplify their causes. Since 2001, Common Knowledge services have helped nonprofits socially enable their online fundraising, marketing, communications and advocacy. Common Knowledge provides strategy, hands-on implementation and on-going campaign and community management to innovative clients like Operation Smile, Sierra Club, Arthritis Foundation, and Disabled American Veterans.


140 Smiles Campaign Sponsors:


Campaign Sponsors: Common Knowledge, Modern Media, TWTRCON


Launch Event Sponsors: Modern Postcard, Le Colonial, TWTRCON, Modern Media, Twooting


Prize Sponsors: Entirely Kiwi; Napster; Virgin America; Threadless; Shangri-La Hotel; Four Seasons Vancouver; The Canyons Park City; Flip Mino Cams; Sky City, NM


Contact: Scott Vooss, 757-321-7697, svooss@operationsmile.org