Monthly Archives: June 2013

2013 Celebration of Smiles Day Raises More Than $52,000 For Operation Smile!

PPA Charities President David Grupa has announced the results of the organization’s annual Celebration of Smiles fundraiser in support of its charitable partner, Operation Smile. Held during April, a total of 79 members raised $52,53 to benefit Operation Smile.

“These funds will go a long way toward meeting our 2012 goal of raising $100,000 for this wonderful organization,” Grupa said. “Because Operation Smile’s medical professionals and support staff volunteer their services, it costs only $240 to provide a simple cleft lip surgery to a child in desperate need. Therefore the funds raised by PPA members so far in 2013 mean that over 200 smiles will be saved.”

The annual Celebration of Smiles Day campaign provides consumers with the opportunity to receive a mini-session and a 5×7 professional portrait in exchange for a donation to Operation Smile of only $24; therefore, for every 10 sessions photographed by a participating studio, another smile can be saved by the volunteer staff of Operation Smile.

In 2014 PPA Charities will advertise Saturday, April 5 as the official Celebration of Smiles date, but studios can hold their events on any other date or dates in April for their convenience.

Top donors for the 2013 campaign are Ryan & Erica Manthey, Pure 7 Studios, Miramar Beach, FL, who contributed $6,131. Last year Pure 7 Studio also was the campaign’s top performer with a donation of $3,813.

In addition to the Mantheys, the Top Tier donors, who contributed $500 or more, are:

Larry Lourcey Lourcey Photography Plano TX $3,950
Monica Cowles Monica Cowles Photography Aberdeen WA $3,203
Pete Rezac Pete Rezac Photography Reno NV $2,060
Mariah Ashley Snap! Wedding Rumford RI $2,013
Vicky Hultman Seasons Photography Rice Lake WI $1,869
Claire Houser Claire Terese Photography Ebensburg PA $1,597
Melanie Anderson Anderson Photographs Hagerstown MD $1,400
Virginia Freire Virginia L. S. Freire Brooklyn NY $1,325
Matthew Andrews Matthew Andrews Photography Covington KY $983
Clark Sanders Clark Sanders Photography Cherokee Village AR $960
Wendy Waddell Wendy Waddell Photography Petaluma CA $960
Meggan Harper Harper-Wayne Portrait Studio Ormond Beach FL $947
Rachel Schrock Torchlight Photography Cleveland TN $824
Dan Thornton Thornton Photography Godfrey IL $730
Patricia Van Bergen Adoring Glances Photography Boyds MD $730
Lili Englehardt Vibrance Photography Chapel Hill NC $722
David Anderson David Anderson Photography Annapolis MD $720
Chanel Apsey Your Reflection, My Style Photography Bloomington IL $720
Jeff Kaiser Kaiser Custom Images Chesapeake VA $633
Constance Bergstedt Resonant Images Roseville MN $508
Lynn Brower Lynn Marie Photography Harrisburg SD $500

In addition to the studios listed above, the studios shown below attained the honor of being designated as an “Operation Smile Studio” for having donated at least $240 dollars, the amount needed to fund a single surgery through Operation Smile. Those individuals and studios are:

Allyson Hurley Allyson Hurley Photography Bedminster NJ
Julie Hipkins Originations Photography Frederick MD
Elizabeth Homan Artistic Images San Antonio TX
Stacey Knoebel Knoebel Portrait Design Hammond WI
Rosalinda Luna Rosalinda Luna Photography San Jose CA
Connie Meyers Connie’s Studio of Photography Nisswa MN
Christina Novak Amazingly Graceful Photography King George VA
Kerith Paterson Visual Girl Photo North Vancouver, BC CANADA
Cindy Sherman Cindy Sherman Photography Boise ID
Heather Fine Elusive Image Photography Blaine MN
Heather Lussier Heather Lussier Photography Los Altos CA
Kelly Zimmerman Cherished Images Boise ID
Autumn Branscome Autumn Branscome Photography Princeton WV
Damien Silveira Mikien Photography Roswell GA
Megan Twaddle Broken Glass Photography Liberty IL
Susan Anderson A Forget Me Not Moment Greensboro NC
Alma Aponte Metamorphosis Digital Photography Fitchburg MA
Mary Pat Kelley Photography by Dale Hagerstown MD
Jennifer Gomez All That Jazz Photography Hillsboro OR
Bert Behnke Behnke Photographers Mokena IL
Zaida Parkes Parkes Photography Stratford CT
Tanya Boggs Tanya Boggs Photography Charleston SC
Carol Brown Brown’s Country Store Benton AR
Danielle DeVito Danielle DeVito Photography Bronxville NY
Cecilia Lysne Behl’s Photography Grand Forks ND
Dan Pulver Guys and Dolls Photography Mt. Pleasant MI
Jasa Wolfrey Sweet Scene Photography Stafford VA
David Grupa David Grupa Portrait Maplewood MN
Kevin Baker Baker Photography Baldwinsville NY
Lew Everling Muse Photo Design Cedar Falls IA
Sarah Hinchey Sarah Hinchey Photography Hingham MA
Britney Kirby-Fullgraf Belvedere Studio Lakeland FL
Mark Mason Mason Photography Duluth GA
Christina Parker Christina Parker Photography Calgary, Alberta CANADA
Tina Petta-Pelletier Uniquely Yours Photography Waterbury CT
LeAnne Schmidt Photog Frog Portrait Studio South Saint Paul MN
Ed Sharp Ed Sharp Photography Greenwich NY
Jill Welch Jill Welch Photography Cataula GA
Jason Williams Snapshots Photographic Salisbury NC
Beth Zak BZak Photography Florissant MO