Michael Franti received the inaugural Universal Smile Award at the third annual Operation Smile Gala event in San Francisco on Saturday, October 11, 2014, at the Marines’ Memorial Club & Hotel. Operation Smile honored Franti, along with his girlfriend, Sara Agah, with the award for their work with the Do It For the Love Foundation which brings people living with life-threatening illnesses, children with severe challenges, and wounded veterans to live concerts. Franti brought the capacity crowd of 250 to its feet with his barefoot acoustic performance of his hit song, ‘Say Hey.’
Event co-chairs Shirin Aryanpour and Shab Farzaneh raised some $155,000 with help from honorary event chair and Operation Smile Founders Circle member Lisa Lori and her son Luke Lori. Plastic surgeon Dr. Walter Peet shared photos and memories from his 15 years of service with Operation Smile. DJ Jimmy Bell spun at the post Gala VIP after-party, and smiles and love seemed to fill the room all night long.
Photos by Getty Images
Operation Smile is an international children’s medical charity that performs safe, effective cleft lip and cleft palate surgery, and delivers postoperative and ongoing medical therapies to children in low and middle income countries. Operation Smile mobilizes medical professionals and caring people such as Aryanpour and Farzaneh, who will head to Vietnam for a medical mission on November 14, 2014.
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