PennWest Clarion students lead life-changing walk

PennWest Clarion's Club Smile held their annual Small Walk for Big Smiles April 21, with an estimated 100 individuals participating. They raised $4,002 for Operation Smile, an international organization dedicated to providing free surgeries for cleft lip and palate in developing countries. The amount raised will provide 16 life-changing operations.

"I have been a member of the organization's executive board for three years. I wanted to ensure a successful fundraiser while educating club members and the community on what cleft lip and palate is," said Michaela Armanini, a senior from DuBois and Club Smile president.

Club Smile raised money not only from fees associated with the walk, but also a T-shirt fundraiser through All-American Awards and Engraving and sponsorship from local businesses such as Brookville Dental PC, Cole Orthodontics, The Dancer's Shop, DMS Printing, Dr. Joseph McNamara, Hollenbaugh's Home Town Meat Market, Tri County Management, Toby Hill Bar and Grill, Clarion Walmart, University Korner, and Daddy's Main Street, which donated proceeds from their March sales of the Smile Burger, an original burger created for the club. 

According to Kenneth Staub, faculty advisor for Club Smile since 2016, participation was the largest since prior to COVID.

Club Smile, a student-led organization founded in 2014 at PennWest Clarion, consists primarily of undergraduates majoring in speech communication sciences and disorders, nursing and education. Staub estimates the club has raised $15,000-$20,000 since its inception.

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