PPA Charities: March 2010 Archives

In each of the five years since PPA Charities named Operation Smile to be it's charitable partner, PPA members have increased their donations. For 2010 the PPACH Trustees have established a record-setting goal of $120,000 to be raised through activities in direct support of Operation Smile. This goal represents a $50,000 increase over the 2009 goal of $70,000! PPA Charities President Mary Fisk-Taylor explains:

"Last year represented an amazing turning point in our fundraising activities for PPA Charities. Because so many caring photographers and industry vendors recognized what could be accomplished for Operation Smile when we all stand together, we topped our $70,000 goal by $30,000! This allowed us to present Operation Smile with a check for $100,000 at our PPACH Celebration at ImagingUSA in January. This means that the smiles of more than 400 children will be saved through of the generosity of our industry.

"Because of this outstanding performance in 2009, the PPACH Trustees feel confident that our goal of $120,000 can be reached in 2010. Just imagine how we will feel about our great industry if this time next year we know that the lives of 500 children will be changed forever because more and more photographers participated in this great effort! It is within our reach if we start our fundraising efforts now, and if we spread the word about what we are doing to our industry colleagues!

"Thank you again for opening your hearts to children around the world and to the fabulous volunteer professionals at Operation Smile. Take a moment now to mark your 2011 calendar so that you can take part in the PPA Charities Celebration on the evening of Saturday, January 15, at Imaging USA in San Antonio!"

To learn how you can support Operation Smile, click here.

To say that the January 2010 PPA Charities Celebration at PPA's ImagingUSA national convention in Nashville was a success is truly an understatement! The event was packed with over 500 members eager to kick off the convention and celebrate PPA Charities' accomplishments for 2009.

The Big News: PPA Photographers

Raise $100,000 for Operation Smile!

The evening's high point was the presentation of a check for $100,000, which represents funds raised by photographers for PPACH's charitable partner, Operation Smile, in 2009. In the photo below, members of the PPA Charities Trustees and other well-wishers surround PPACH president Mary Fisk-Taylor (center right) as she presents the check to Beth Marshall, director of Operation Smile's Southeast Region and senior executive advisor for Latin America. Beth is the sister of Kathy Magee, cofounder of Operation Smile.

The $100,000 donation represents a major milestone for PPA Charities, as it nearly doubled the $50,635 contribution presented at IUSA in 2009. According to PPACH Executive Director Bert Behnke, "This outstanding result would not have been possible without the incredible participation of many new individual and corporate donors who have recognized that Operation Smile is such a worthy organization and a perfect fit for photographers." To date, PPA photographers have raised a total of $250,000 for Operation Smile. That translates into well over 1,000 smiles that have been saved through the generosity of PPA members. For a complete listing of PPACH 2009 contributors, click here.

The check ceremony followed a narrated slide presentation by Bert Behnke, who documented an Operation Smile mission to Paraguay in November, and a presentation by Dr. Rafael Gottenger, who spoke from the heart about the impact of Operation Smile and the importance of photography in telling the story of Operation Smile's world-wide missions. Dr. Gottenger's work was documented by PPA member and PPACH Board member Graham Wilson, who accompanied a November mission to Vietnam.

Graham Wilson and members of his studio staff are shown below along with Gottenger, Beth Marshall and Bert Behnke.

Demonstrating The Power of ONE

"The Ronald" fundraiser, which took place during the Celebration, was a light-hearted spoof on Donald Trump's reality show with PPA President's Ron Nichols and two other judges, determining the winning team, shown below, which consisted of Kay Eskridge, Trey and Elizabeth Homan, Lori Nordstrom, and Dan Pfeffer.

Team leader Kay Eskridge explains their "Power of ONE" fund-raising strategy: "Our goal was to enlist the support of socially responsible photographers by sharing how simple the power of one really is: These are tough times for fundraising but we know that people still want to help. They just feel like the small amount they may have to give couldn't possibly make a difference. Our campaign was designed to show them it is not true. Small amounts could count. And, by spreading the word about the Power of One, they would become a part of a campaign that was making a dramatic difference in so many little lives. So we ed, ed, blogged, emailed, e-newslettered . . . and worked tirelessly at spreading the word and asking for small amounts. "Standing as ONE, professional photographers across the country can make a difference in the lives of children all over the world through the PPA Charities Operation Smile Campaign."

Rick Gibbons Honored With PPA Charities Legacy Award

During the Awards Ceremony on the last evening of ImagingUSA, Rick Gibbons received The PPA Charities Legacy Award, which recognizes outstanding service and commitment to PPA Charities and philanthropic endeavors. Rick was honored for his pioneering work with Operation Smile, through the North Carolina Professional Photographers Association and the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association (SEPPA), which resulted in the ongoing relationship between PPA Charities and Operation Smile. Rick is a past president of both organizations. Rick's award was acknowledged by Mary Fisk-Taylor during the Celebration event.

Because of the size of the crowd in Nashville, PPA has reserved a much larger room for the 2011 Celebration event at at IUSA in San Antonio. We're going to need it, as Texas School has contacted us to help sponsor the Celebration as the unofficial welcome party to IUSA 2011. Wow!

To relive the sights and fun of the 2010 PPACH Celebration, click here.

Mark your calendar NOW for January 15, 2011. SEE YOU IN SAN ANTONIO!

March 2010 Archives

PPACH Sets $120,000 Operation Smile Donation Goal

PPA Charities Celebrates Success at Imaging USA!

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