HURON-SUPERIOR CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
St. Mary's College's Operation Smile Fundraiser Transforms Lives and Inspires Hope

St. Mary's College (SMC) is celebrating a record-breaking year for its Operation Smile campaign, raising just over $10,000 more than double last year's total. This year alone, the funds raised, along with additional support from Operation Smile Canada, will transform the lives of 84 children. Since the campaign's inception in 2006, and through this year's efforts, SMC's Operation Smile will have brought new smiles to a total of 500 children a profound embodiment of the school's Catholic mission of love and service.

During Operation Smile Week (October 21-25), SMC rallied its community to achieve this incredible milestone. Through spirited activities such as dodgeball tournaments, custom crewneck sales, and a hugely successful cookie fundraiser, students united in purpose and exceeded their fundraising goals. The campaign's success reflects SMC's deep-rooted commitment to social justice, with Grade 12 students integrating the initiative into their religion coursework, emphasizing hands-on acts of service and compassion.

"Operation Smile began at SMC in 2006 and has grown into a tradition that unites the school community as a family working toward a shared goal," said Grade 12 student Benjamin Norbo. "This year, our efforts resonate even more as they align with our school board's 2024-2025 theme, Pilgrims of Hope.' Through this campaign, we're spreading hope and creating real change for children worldwide."

For many students, Operation Smile isn't just a school campaign it's deeply personal. Grade 12 student Danielle Baril has been connected to the cause since her first year at SMC.

"When I joined SMC in Grade 9, my sister was leading Operation Smile and always spoke about how it brought the school together through events like Smile Week dodgeball games, cookie sales, and fundraisers," Baril shared. "Her passion inspired me, and now, as someone aspiring to become a social worker, this campaign holds profound meaning. It's more than fundraising; it's about changing lives."

Teachers have been equally instrumental in driving the campaign's success. Rita Trecroce, SMC's French Immersion teacher and Operation Smile mentor, recounted the inspiration behind the initiative.

"I was watching a documentary about children with cleft conditions when my five-year-old daughter joined me," Trecroce explained. "She noticed how different these children looked and related it to her own experience wearing an eye patch for vision correction. Her empathy moved her to donate her birthday gifts to sponsor surgeries. That act of compassion sparked the idea for Operation Smile at SMC, and it's been growing ever since."

As a Catholic institution, SMC is deeply committed to giving back, answering the call to love and serve others, especially the most vulnerable. For many children in the Global South with cleft conditions, access to life-saving surgeries is non-existent. Without intervention, some face life-threatening complications, including difficulty eating or drinking. Through Operation Smile, SMC helps these children live full, confident lives, spreading hope and transforming futures.

"Our entire class put their hearts into this campaign," Norbo said. "Without the 18 dedicated team members who helped organize these events, achieving this would have been so much harder. Their commitment and the school community's support made it possible for us to double our fundraising from last year and help bring new smiles to children in need."

Operation Smile has become a shining example of SMC's unwavering dedication to compassion, unity, and Catholic Social teachings, emphasizing dignity, solidarity, and a preferential option for the poor. The campaign's impact extends far beyond fundraising it's a testament to the transformative power of collective action and the enduring strength of a community driven by faith and service. With the funds soon on their way to Operation Smile in time for Christmas, SMC celebrates not just a successful campaign, but the profound difference it will make in the lives of children around the world.