“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ~ Maya Angelou

Last year we went to Imaging USA 2013 in Atlanta which is a fantastic photography convention hosted by PPA {Professional Photographers of America}. There’s so much to learn, so many people to meet, and so many geeky photo gadgets to buy! One evening we stumbled into the PPA Charities Party {I was tired and wanted to go to bed, Trish thought we should make an appearance to meet our photo-mentor, Mary Fisk Taylor}. Casting a last longing look at my pillow, I reluctantly agreed to go to the party. After meeting Mary we decided to hang around and listen to the speakers talk about PPA’s official charity, Operation Smile. I didn’t know that much about Operation Smile before attending the party. I learned that Operation Smile is a  hugely successful and well respected charity that preforms free surgeries for impoverished children around the globe who are born with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palette. Children born with these deformities lead painful and isolated lives, if they survive at all. Hearing these heartbreaking and ultimately inspirational stories, we knew instantly that we had to get involved with Operation Smile. Amazingly, just $240 pays for one surgery that dramatically changes a child’s life, opening up a whole promising world to them.We put operation Snap Charity into effect as soon as we returned from the conference. In addition to a fundraiser we hosted in April,  we have also donated $240 per wedding we have booked for 2014. We didn’t have any idea at the time, but we recently found out all those $240 donations have put us at the top of the donation list. We raised a total of $10,367. I’m so proud to say that we are the TOP DONATING photography studio in the country. It’s been such a wonderful and uplifting experience for us being involved with Operation Smile. Thank you to everyone who’s booked with us or donated their time and talents to our fundraiser. FORTY THREE children have had surgeries because of you! 43!

Let’s go even bigger for 2014! 50 is a nice number, let’s save 50 smiles!