Smile Train Secures Second Consecutive GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Title

Nonprofit illuminates the most landmarks in 24 hours

NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused organization, secured its second GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title in as many years. The latest is for the "Most Landmarks Illuminated in 24 Hours." In celebration of World Smile Day^® on October 4, 2024, Smile Train lit up 64 iconic landmarks across the globe, surpassing the previous record of 56, held by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The vibrant display was part of Smile Train's Lighting Up the World with Smiles global campaign and in commemoration of the organization's 25^th anniversary. The display shined a light on Smile Train's solidarity with and support for children with clefts, a life-altering (and sometimes life-threatening) facial difference that can cause challenges with eating, breathing, speaking, and hearing. Clefts are the most common facial difference globally – every three minutes a baby is born with a cleft, affecting around 1 in 700 newborns.

"Our global illumination exemplifies the power of community and the impact we can make when we come together for a common cause," said, Susannah Schaefer, president and CEO, Smile Train.

"We are thrilled to have set this new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title, which not only celebrates our commitment to the cleft community but also raises awareness about clefts and the incredible work we are doing to support cleft-affected children worldwide. Each illuminated site served as a beacon of hope, reminding the world of the importance of kindness and supporting the most vulnerable among us."

Among the landmarks that shined brightly were the iconic Empire State Building in New York City, the BT Tower in London, the Rizal Monument in the Philippines, and Niagara Falls in the United States.

Last year, Smile Train made history on World Smile Day^® by setting a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest online photo album of smiling mouths, raising widespread awareness around clefts and showcasing the power of a smile.

Smile Train would like to thank our landmark partners who participated in this monumental event.

ABOUT SMILE TRAIN: Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.

Media Contact: Nicole Bell| Public Relations
[email protected]| (646) 829-0996

SOURCE Smile Train