The Good Times Rolled at Imaging USA!

pasted-graphicThe good times definitely rolled in New Orleans at the January 14 PPA Charities Celebration Gala at PPA’s ImagingUSA national convention, which included fun, food, raffles and a host of auction items. It took a team of high-energy volunteers to make the Celebration such a success. They set up the room; handled check-in and check-out; provided photo-booth photography; sold beaded heart necklaces, raffle tickets and t-shirts. Plus they served as silent-auction table captains and Spotlight Item assistants. In short, the Celebration Gala happened because of wonderful volunteers headed by Trustees Britney Fulgraff and Randy Taylor, assisted by retiring Trustee Cindy Romaguera, who will be sorely missed!

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The evening’s very special guest was Dr. Bill Magee (left), who, together with his wife, Kathy, founded Operation Smile. Dr. Magee was accompanied by his sister-in-law, Beth Marshall, (second from right), who is well-known to attendees of PPACH Celebrations, and who serves as director of Operation Smile’s Southeast Region and Senior Executive Advisor for Latin America. Beth’s sister, Kathy, was attending an Operation Smile fundraiser in Dallas. Also shown are PPA members who have played significant roles in PPA’s support of Operation Smile. They include (top row from left): Bert Behnke, founder and Executive Director of PPA Charities; Doug Peninger, who along with Rick Gibbons (far right) brought Operation Smile to the attention of PPA Charities; Laurie Weaver (second from left), the most recent PPA member to document an Operation Smile mission; and at center, Angie and Matt Weedon, who were honored with the PPA Charities Legacy Award for their outstanding philanthropic efforts on behalf of Operation Smile. The Weedon’s personal and studio donations since 2005 total an astounding $44,000!

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The evening’s high point was an address by Dr. Magee, who expressed appreciation to PPACH and PPA photographers for their continued support of Operation Smile, and the presentation by PPACH trustees and PPA President Don Dickson of a check for $100,000 to Dr. Magee and Beth Marshall. In thanking PPA members for this donation, Beth pointed out that this $100,000 donation brings PPA’s total donations to Operation Smile to $500,000! The importance of this milestone, she added, is that this amount translates to 2,000 children who have been helped through the generosity of PPA photographers.

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Special thanks go to WHCC and SuccessWare for their sponsorship of the Celebration Gala; to booth photographer Jamie Hayes and event photographer Peter Horn; and to Wild Sorbet Frame Company for supplying the frames used by PPA at the Gala and IUSA trade show. Most of all . . . thanks to the hundreds of PPA members who turned out for the fun, fellowship and festivities in support of PPA Charities and Operation Smile!

After Dark Donates $3,000 to PPA Charities!

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Special thanks go out to Dave Junion of After Dark Education for generously responding to PPA Charities VIP (Vendors in Partnership) 2011 appeal with a donation of $3,000. Thanks for once again supporting PPA Charities and Operation Smile!

Here’s how Dave explains the “After Dark Education as Experience:” It’s neither a “conference” nor a “workshop”; it’s the best of BOTH worlds. Get the intimacy of the small group interaction you’d find at a workshop AND the multitude of topics, class opportunities, and educators (the mentors) you’d find at a conference. The “UN-conference” as described by some, After Dark Education focuses on helping you to build a strong, stable, business foundation along with pushing creativity and craftsmanship to create a unique top-quality product for your clients.

For more information about After Dark, log on to afterdarkedu.com.

10-Day 11.11.11 Campaign Nets $7754 for for the Children of Operation Smile!

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Thanks to all of those donors who responded to PPA Charities’ 10-day campaign to celebrate 11-11-11 by donating to support Operation Smile. This special date, which occurred on Veteran’s Day this year, will not happen again for another 100 years. PPA members and vendors responded by donating various amounts, most using a 11-11-11 denomination. Of the 88 individuals and businesses that participated, three donors gave $1,111.11; thirty others contributed $111.11; and the remaining donations came in as lesser amounts — most of them as $11.11 contributions or multiples of that amount. Some donations were made to honor veterans while others recognized loved ones, friends or businesses. “To all who donated,” said PPA Charities President Mary Fisk-Taylor, “you helped to prove how much photographers care for others. We thank you for your generosity.” The following individuals and businesses supported the 11.11.11 campaign:

Anita – honoring John E. Sime
Irene Abdou
Sue Altman
Jessica Arnest
Dee Barnes – honoring Cindy Romaguera
Holly Baumann
Robert Behm
Bert Behnke – honoring Kim Robel
Bert Behnke
Anthony Bridges
Angela Carson
Rose Mary Cheek
Janet Ciummei
Lori Craft
HoneyDeLapa – honoring Wayne
Amy Delph – honoring Mary Grace Delph
Don Dickson
Linda Durham
Ann Dyer
Kathleen Dylan
Todd Ellis – honoring Angela Weedon Photography
Robert Faust
Mary Fisk-Taylor
Virginia Freire
Sharon Gaietto
Tony Gallegly
Danielle George – honoring BWC
Rick Gibbons
Harvey Goldstein
Colleen Gonsar
Susan Goralski
Tammy Griffin
Bonnie Hamilton
Jane Hankins
Donna Johnson
Karen Jonas
Bruce Kirby
Melinda Kolker – honoring Harold T. Rose
Lori Konshuk
Hetty Joy Kramer
Ann Landry
Larry Leone
Bod Lloyd
Heather Lussier
The Marathon Family
Marie Martineau
Richard McGee
Suzi McGehee
Randy McNeilly
Alison Miniter
Daniel Mitchell
Ann Monteith – honoring M/Gen. Bruce E. Kendall
Carol Nichols
K. Norwood
Lisa Pacelli
Doug Peninger
Jeffrey Phillips
Pamela Reiss
Pete Rezac
Cindy Romaguera
Karen Rubin
Frank Salas
Lauren Sanderson
Jordan Scheiner
Michelle Shackelford
Millie Shaw
Christy Smith
David Smith
Karen Sturgeon
Tina Timmons
Michael Timmons
Jesse Valley
John Warters
Laurie Weaver
Christopher Whipple
Connie White
Kathy Wierda
Helen Yancy
Carey Zarate
Atticus 13 – honoring Jed & Vicki Taufer
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Real Life Events
Johnston Photography
Hanna Skye Photography
Photographs by Laraine
TAG Enterprises Jim Gibbs
Sorrells Signature Portraits
Murray’s
Jewel Arts

A Message to PPA Members from Operation Smile’s Co-Founder, Dr. William P. Magee, Jr.

mageeNote: The PPA Charities Trustees received this email from Dr. Magee in response to a new PPACH fundraising project that will benefit Operation Smile; The first nationwide “Celebration of Smiles” promotion will take place on April 21, 2012, and you will be hearing much more about it soon. Dr. Magee will be on hand for the official announcement during the Imaging USA January 15, 9:00 A.M. program on charitable marketing, “The Power of Charity,” also featuring Beverly Walden, Sarah Petty, and Mary Fisk-Taylor. He also will attend the PPA Charities Celebration gala on January 14, from 8:00 – 11:00 P.M. Don’t miss either opportunity to spend time with this extraordinary humanitarian.

Sorry for the delayed response. I am in Asia right now and have not had good access to my email. I love what you are doing, and will send this off to Kristie Porcaro who is head of our Development and to Kyla Shawyer who heads our Marketing. They will know the best route to help you.

On this trip we were in the Philippines as we begin to help with the celebration of our birth there almost 30 years ago. Kath and I had the opportunity to be interviewed on a TV morning talk show, ABS – CBN, to share our message with the Filipino Community. As we left for the airport, they asked us to meet a 9 year old boy with a Cleft Lip and Palate brought to the studio by his Mom and Grandmother. He has never been to school. They live in Manila and yet they never knew that their child could be helped until recently.

Although we have watched this same story unfold over and over again, it never ceases to amaze me that this scenario still exists even in the major cities of the countries where Operation Smile has a presence.

With the help of our staff and volunteers in Manila, we immediately organised for the family to be helped at the “Makati” mission which will take place in a few weeks. That simple moment of kindness took all of about 5 minutes. Yet if Operation Smile Philippines didn’t exist that “magic” moment could not have happened. We left that child, his mom and grandmother all in tears as they tried to thank us and as usual tears filled all of our eyes as well.

I am often asked why do we continue to push ourselves now 30 years later. At times it is difficult to put into words. However, probably the easiest way to explain it still brings me back to chance encounters such as the one that we had just a few mornings ago. That is what keeps our drive and passion alive.

However it is also the opportunity to work with organizations such as yours. Organizations who are willing to stand side by side with us as we plan the future. That is what gives us the courage to be confident that we will be able to keep the promises we have made to these families. The promise that we will do our best to be “present” for them.

Kathy and I thank you again for all that the PPA Charities has done and continues to do.

All the Best,

Bill

Wiliam P. Magee Jr., DDS, MD,