Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, has made history by setting a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest online photo album of smiling mouths. Over 21,000 people from around the world participated in this monumental event by uploading pictures of their smiles. The achievement was officially verified by a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS adjudicator, who presented Smile Train with a certificate as the Official Record Holder.
This incredible feat underscores the importance of smiles, especially for individuals born with facial differences. Susannah Schaefer, the president and CEO of Smile Train, expressed her excitement and reiterated the organization’s commitment to providing free cleft surgeries and comprehensive care. She emphasized that all smiles are beautiful and the record-breaking accomplishment further reinforces this message.
The announcement coincided with World Smile Day, a global initiative dedicated to spreading kindness and goodwill through smiles. The Worcester Historical Museum, in collaboration with Smile Train, hosted the celebration and expressed pride in supporting the organization’s GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt. The museum’s executive director, William Wallace, highlighted the significance of World Smile Day in Worcester, as it is the hometown of Harvey Ball, the creator of the iconic smiley face. Ball’s work continues to inspire the community to bring smiles to people’s lives.
Smile Train launched this ambitious campaign in July, coinciding with National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention month. The initiative received a significant boost when Samantha Hanratty, an actress from Showtime’s Yellowjackets, shared her smile to kick off the campaign. Dentsply Sirona, a longstanding corporate partner of Smile Train and the world’s largest manufacturer of dental products, played a crucial role in the campaign’s success. They responded to Smile Train’s call for participants by pledging a $20,000 USD donation. As the campaign gained momentum, Dentsply Sirona increased their contribution to an impressive $120,000 USD, which they presented to Smile Train during the celebration at the Worcester Historical Museum.
Erania Brackett, the senior vice president of Dentsply Sirona, expressed pride in supporting Smile Train’s mission and their dedication to providing life-changing surgeries and comprehensive care to children worldwide. In recognition of their contribution, Dentsply Sirona will also receive a certificate from GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS as a co-record holder.
Smile Train’s achievement in setting a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest online photo album of smiling mouths is a testament to the global community’s commitment to supporting individuals with clefts and spreading happiness through smiles. This remarkable accomplishment serves as a reminder of the transformative power of a simple smile.