International Charity Smile Train Partners With New York Islanders On Campaign To Celebrate National Facial Protection Month

NEW YORK, April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Smile Train, the world's largest cleft lip and palate charity, has announced today a partnership with the New York Islanders in celebration of National Facial Protection Month.  Throughout the entire month of April, dental professionals and organizations across the United States stand to promote the safety and education of protecting one's face and head.  Smile Train and the Islanders are joining the initiative in raising awareness and safety while expressing that it is not only important to have a bright smile, but to protect your healthy smile as well.

The social media campaign kicked-off on Tuesday, April 2^nd at the New York Islanders first home game of the month versus the Winnipeg Jets, and will continue through Tuesday, April 30^th.   Smile Train is asking participants to take photographs of themselves smiling and then upload the pictures to Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr using the hash tag #SmileNFPM.  For every photo uploaded, Islanders' team dentist, Dr. Marc Herman, will donate $1.00 to the charity. 

"It has always been my mission to help children around the world and this is a terrific opportunity for Smile Train to work together with the Islanders players to educate everyone on the importance of facial protection and safety and to help bring  more smiles to more children who need our help through Smile Train," said Charles B. Wang, Co-Founder & Chairman of Smile Train and Owner of the New York Islanders.  "We are extremely thankful to Dr. Marc Herman for his generous contribution and support."

"As the Islanders' team dentist I have seen many cases of injury to the face and mouth and cannot stress how important it is to protect these fragile body parts," said Dr. Herman.  "It is such a privilege to work with a charity such as Smile Train, who pride themselves on bettering youth and their families."

Photographs submitted via Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr will also have the chance to be displayed on the Jumbotron during the remainder of the Islanders home games.  These dates include: Saturday, April 6th versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tuesday, April 9th versus the Philadelphia Flyers, Saturday, April 13th versus the New York Rangers and Tuesday, April 16th versus the Florida Panthers.

For additional information on Smile Train and how to get involved, please visit www.smiletrain.org.  

For more information on the New York Islanders please visit www.newyorkislanders.com.

About Smile Train 

Smile Train's mission is to provide a child born with a cleft the same opportunities in life as a child born without a cleft. We provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive care to hundreds of thousands of poor children in developing countries and train doctors and medical professionals in over 80 countries.

Unlike many charities that do many different things, Smile Train's mission is focused on solving a single problem: cleft lip and palate.

Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where more than a million children are suffering with unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly and aren't allowed to attend school or hold a job. They face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache. Their clefts usually go untreated because they are poor - too poor to pay for a simple surgery that has been around for decades. We want our mission to be yours.

About the New York Islanders

Founded in 1972, the New York Islanders Hockey Club is the proud winner of four Stanley Cup Championships. Keep up with breaking Islanders news on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NEWYORKISLANDERS and on Twitter @NYIslanders. Don't forget to Yapp with the team all season long with SportsYapper on your smartphone or tablet. For further information on any individual/group ticket options or sponsorship opportunities, contact the team's office at (516) 501-6700 or e-mail [email protected]. For more team information, log on to newyorkislanders.com.

SOURCE Smile Train