Last Thursday, Operation Smile held a “Smile Gala” at the Beverly Hills Hilton. Sony Electronics donated $100,000 toward the organization’s $2 million fundraising goal for the event. Sony had several key figures represent the company at the event, which included Ted Okada, senior vice president, digital imaging, Ed Wallace, vice president, community affairs, Phil Lubell, director, digital imaging and Karim Noblecilla, senior product marketing manager, digital imaging.
The funds will be used to provide free physical examinations and reconstructive surgeries to children with facial deformities. Each surgery costs approximately $750, so Sony’s gift will pay for approximately 133 surgeries.
Gisela Pedroza, an employee communications specialist at Sony wrote about the event, “During the cocktail reception, Operation Smile volunteers walked around snapping photos of the attendees, demoing the Smile Shutter feature of Sony’s Cyber-shot cameras. They were wearing displays around their necks which allowed the subjects to see the photo before it was taken. This was a huge hit with the crowd, who got to see their photos at the end of the evening.
In August, Sony also donated 30 Cyber-shot cameras to Operation Smile volunteers, who took them on missions around the world to document the children’s transformations. The fundraising event featured a silent auction – with original artwork from Picasso, Miro and Salvador Dalí for sale – and raffle tickets were sold for a raffle that included a Badgley Mischka couture gemstone ring and two Cyber-shot cameras. I may be biased, but the two cameras generated more excitement in the crowd when the raffle began.”
