'The Apprentice' April 15th Finale Episode Will Highlight 22-Year-Old Not-For-Profit Medical Services Organization, Operation Smile, and Ivy Supersonic

    NEW YORK, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Operation Smile, the not-for-profit
 medical services organization that provides life-altering reconstructive
 facial surgery for children worldwide, teams up with Ivy Supersonic, celebrity
 designer (that's an original Ivy Supersonic creation on Omarosa's head in the
 final episode), on NBC's hit reality show, "The Apprentice," during the
 two-hour finale airing Thursday, April 15th from 9pm-11pm ET/PT.  One of the
 show's final tasks has finalist Kwame Jackson producing a charity concert with
 megastar Jessica Simpson, Operation Smile's International Youth Ambassador,
 and Ivy Supersonic.  All proceeds from the concert will benefit Operation
 Smile.
     Donald Trump, Jr. serves on the New York Executive Committee of this
 22-year-old organization that has treated tens of thousands of children and
 young adults suffering from conditions including cleft lips, cleft palates,
 burns and tumors.
     "Seeing what a group of volunteers can do to change the lives of children
 worldwide was amazing.  I'm happy to have personally contributed to the
 organization during my time on 'The Apprentice,' and I look forward to
 supporting Operation Smile in the future," said Kwame Jackson.
     Kevin Lofton, former MTV animation director, designed the cartoon,
 featuring an animated Ivy Supersonic, to raise awareness of the needs of
 indigent children with life-altering facial deformities.  Sponsored by
 Wachovia Securities, the cartoon is accompanied by a custom Operation Smile
 song donated by Motema Music.  Children love cartoons!  Through the message of
 this media children will be encouraged to help those less fortunate, develop
 altruistic attitudes, and build compassion.
     The cartoon features Ivy Supersonic talking to the viewer about Operation
 Smile's mission in front of a backdrop of before and after pictures of
 children helped through Operation Smile's worldwide efforts.  It will be mass
 emailed and may also appear on television to increase awareness and drive
 viewers back to the Operation Smile website to donate.
     "Cartoons are here to make people smile, and that's why Operation Smile is
 so important to me.  Operation Smile gives children all over the world a
 chance to smile." - Ivy Supersonic Cartoon.
     Tom Wilson, of the legendary cartoon character Ziggy, explains why the Ivy
 Supersonic cartoon is a perfect fit for Operation Smile:  "The thing that sets
 Ivy Supersonic apart from other icons is that her goals for herself include
 acting as a positive role model for others.  She is a natural catalyst for
 change, creativity, and learning."
     Dr. Bill Magee, Co-founder and CEO for Operation Smile, stated, "Here at
 Operation Smile we recognize the importance of involving young adults in our
 missions worldwide.  We include high school students in each international
 mission and have nationwide student programs concentrating on outreach,
 leadership, and fundraising.  'Children helping children' insures a bright
 future for the world.  We hope that through this exposure, these children will
 develop into altruistic leaders."
     Each year Operation Smile's teams of highly specialized medical volunteers
 perform surgeries and provide related healthcare on international missions to
 more than 20 countries.
 
     About Operation Smile
     Throughout the world, Operation Smile volunteers repair childhood facial
 deformities while building public and private partnerships that advocate for
 sustainable healthcare systems for children and families.  Together, we create
 smiles, change lives and heal humanity.  Operation Smile was founded in 1982
 by William P. Magee, Jr., D.D.S., M.D., and Kathleen S. Magee, M.S.W., B.S.N.,
 is headquartered in Norfolk, Va., and is included in the 2003 Forbes 200 list
 of charities.  For more information, go to www.operationsmile.org .
 
 

SOURCE  Operation Smile