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On March 8th, 2017, a team of eight volunteers, including top fundraisers from our network of independent sales offices, as well as a Cydcor team member, returned home from their life-changing medical volunteer trip to Guadalajara, Mexico. There, they worked alongside a dedicated Operation Smile team of volunteers for an adventure they will never forget. While on the mission, volunteers Amanda Tram, Ben Gouwens, David Espinal, Donny Boyer, Melissa White, Mouad Alami, Sandra Tejada, and Yesi Andrade assisted the Operation Smile medical team by attending patient screenings, escorting patients to their surgeries, entertaining children and their families as they wait for their procedures, and reuniting families with their children post-op.
While these much-needed surgeries can transform the lives of children who may not have been able to eat or speak properly prior to having the procedure, or who do not attend school for of fear of being teased, participating in the medical missions and witnessing children’s emotional journeys can often have a profound effect on the volunteers as well.
“There is one moment of the volunteer trip that will be etched in my mind forever. Alejandra, the little girl we fell in love with, had a pretty severe cleft lip and was very aware of how she looked, despite being an extremely happy child. When she came out of surgery, I used my phone to show her what she looked like. She stared at herself for a couple seconds as if she didn’t recognize herself, until she gave the sweetest smile I have ever seen. My heart melted. The trajectory of her life at that moment was changed forever!” said Melissa White.
“I am impressed by the courage and strength these kids have. I was very touched by Paulina, an 11-year-old who traveled with her brother from far away in hopes of getting the surgery that would restore her smile. I can't imagine everything going through Paulina's head; first time out of her village, seeing a big city for the first time, not being able to understand anyone but her brother. The most incredible moment was seeing her look at herself for the first time. She was in shock, almost confused. A few minutes later, you could see tears rolling down her cheeks. I could not stop crying, I will remember that moment forever,” shared Cydcor team member Yesi Andrade.
In addition to our corporate volunteer program, Cydcor has been partnering with Operation Smile on fundraising initiatives since 2010. Cydcor holds an annual Day of Smiles event, along with many other fundraising events throughout the year, to help provide free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries for children from low and middle income countries. With the support of more than 3,000 dedicated volunteers from our network of more than 375 independent sales offices, we have raised more than $800,000 to date. That’s enough to bring smiles to the faces of nearly 3,500 children.
Operation Smile’s vision of a world where no child suffers from lack of access to safe, well timed, and effective surgery fits well with the values of our business.
“We are a people helping people business, and it is evident from the way Operation Smile treats their patients, the community, and their volunteers that they are as well,” said Donny Boyer.
Cydcor CEO, Gary Polson explains the immense value of lending our support to great causes like Operation Smile. “We can achieve the great lives we aspire to live, by taking actions that improve the lives of others. We must be compassionate and help those in need. We must take initiative to help others beat the odds. We must act with humility and set the example. Our business gives us countless opportunities to help other people. I am so proud of who we are and what we accomplish together. We become great when we do great things, especially when we do them for others."
“What unites us all is the shared belief that we have an obligation to provide people with an opportunity to lead a better life. This extends far beyond the boundaries of our business, to helping people in our communities and in faraway places.” Said Cydcor President, Vera Quinn.
Cydcor continues our commitment to helping Operation Smile change lives through both our corporate volunteer program and fundraising efforts, and we look forward to achieving $1 million dollars raised on the organization’s behalf.
To learn more about Cydcor and our support of Operation Smile, please visit our donation home page.
Operation Smile is an international medical charity that has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries who are born with cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities. It is one of the oldest and largest volunteer-based organizations dedicated to improving the health and lives of children worldwide through access to surgical care. Since 1982, Operation Smile has developed expertise in mobilizing volunteer medical teams to conduct surgical missions in resource-poor environments while adhering to the highest standards of care and safety. Operation Smile helps to fill the gap in providing access to safe, well-timed surgeries by partnering with hospitals, governments and ministries of health, training local medical personnel, and donating much-needed supplies and equipment to surgical sites around the world. Founded and based in Virginia, U.S., Operation Smile has extended its global reach to more than 60 countries through its network of credentialed surgeons, pediatricians, doctors, nurses, and student volunteers. For more information, visit www.operationsmile.org.
On Wednesday, May 17th, at West Edge, NYC, Operation Smile held its 2017 New York Smile Event to celebrate 35 years of providing free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries who are born with cleft lip or cleft palate conditions. Over the years, this philanthropy event celebrating helping hands and generous hearts has become one of the most anticipated events of the spring season, bringing together 250 guest from Manhattan and around the globe to celebrate the cleft lip and cleft palate charity, including New York business and community leaders and other philanthropically-minded individuals passionate about this worthy cause.
Cydcor, along with our network of more than 3,000 volunteers from 375 independent sales offices, has been partnering with Operation Smile since 2010, holding an annual Day of Smiles fundraising event, along with many other fundraisers throughout the year.
Cydcor invited four top-fundraising independent sales office owners to attend the philanthropy event, which included a gallery exhibit, hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and dancing. Also in attendance were Cydcor Vice Chairman Jim Majeski along with wife and Operation Smile Founders Circle Award winner, Barbara Majeski.
To date, Cydcor has raised more than $800,000 for Operation Smile, and we look forward to achieving more than $1 million raised on the organization’s behalf. Accomplishing that goal will make us smile too.
To learn more about Cydcor and our support of the cleft lip and cleft palate charity Operation Smile, please visit our donation home page.
Operation Smile is an international medical charity that has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries who are born with cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities. It is one of the oldest and largest volunteer-based organizations dedicated to improving the health and lives of children worldwide through access to surgical care. Since 1982, Operation Smile has developed expertise in mobilizing volunteer medical teams to conduct surgical missions in resource-poor environments while adhering to the highest standards of care and safety. Operation Smile helps to fill the gap in providing access to safe, well-timed surgeries by partnering with hospitals, governments and ministries of health, training local medical personnel, and donating much-needed supplies and equipment to surgical sites around the world. Founded and based in Virginia, U.S., Operation Smile has extended its global reach to more than 60 countries through its network of credentialed surgeons, pediatricians, doctors, nurses, and student volunteers. For more information, visit www.operationsmile.org.
Cydcor has funded another medical mission through Operation Smile, this time taking place in Bolivia. Cydcor volunteers will be assisting the Operation Smile team during the medical mission which will provide cleft palate surgeries for children in need.
With the help of fundraising volunteers across the country, last June Cydcor raised more than $150,000 during the “Day of Smiles” fundraiser. As a result of the money raised, Cydcor was able to fund two medical missions- this one taking place in Bolivia and another one where the location is yet to be determined in Spring 2016.
This isn’t the first time that Cydcor has funded an Operation Smile medical mission trip. In early June 2012, Cydcor volunteers traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to change the lives of children in need. In early 2014, Cydcor volunteers traveled to traveled to San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico and were able to help provide many surgeries with the money raised through Operation Smile fundraisers. Finally in November 2014, Cydcor joined Operation Smile on a medical mission to Guatemala. Overall, Cydcor has raised more than $850,000 to sponsor these life-saving medical missions.
Each mission sends doctors, volunteers, and equipment to an area with limited healthcare access and provides screenings and surgeries for children. Cleft palates often result in complications to eating, drinking, speaking and even breathing. Many infants do not survive this condition if left untreated. Operation Smile and Cydcor hope to restore many smiles around the world and give these children a chance to thrive.
This year, six Cydcor volunteers who made outstanding fundraising efforts were recognized with the special honor of assisting the medical teams and families in Bolivia. They arrived on March 9th and will be there until the 16th of March.
A very rewarding aspect of assisting on these missions is having the chance to spend time with the families of the children undergoing surgery. Cydcor volunteers also help conduct screenings, entertain the children while they wait for surgery, and provide support and comfort to families throughout the process. Their contribution is very emotionally demanding but a very rewarding experience overall.
Cydcor is proud of its partnership with Operation Smile and the success of the Day of Smiles fundraising campaign. The donations raised through this campaign will allow more less-fortunate children access to medical care.
Thank you to everyone in the organization who worked so hard on the fundraisers. Let’s continue changing lives once smile at a time!
You can make a donation to Cydcor’s Operation Smile campaign today and support this great cause!
Follow Cydcor on Facebook and YouTube for updates about our company and the latest news about our 2016 medical mission with Operation Smile.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.
Last year, Cydcor raised over $270,000 for Operation Smile to help fund cleft palate surgeries for needy children around the globe. In July, the fundraiser surpassed $150,000, enough to fund a medical mission to another country. The mission involves sending doctors, volunteers and equipment to an area where access to healthcare is difficult, and provide screenings and surgeries for children. Cleft palates often result in complications eating, drinking and speaking, and many infants do not survive. Those that do often cannot attend school. Operation Smile hopes to restore millions of smiles and give those children a better chance at thriving.
This week, Cydcor volunteers are in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, meeting some of the people the money they raised are helping. In 2012, volunteers made a similar trip to Brazil, where more than 600 surgeries were provided to children. Cydcor is proud of their partnership with Operation Smile and plans to continue working with the organization in the future.
During the mission, volunteers have had the chance to spend time with the families of the children being operated on and see them through the transition of the surgery. Part of the strategy of Operation Smile is to assist facilities in the field to achieve the ability to provide the treatment of cleft palates and other facial deformities on their own.
You can make a donation to Operation Smile today and support this great cause. Help Cydcor fund another mission!
