The Operation Smile is a Virginia Beach-based international organization dedicated to offering safe cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to children around the world. Club members spread the love on February 5th during their visit to Virginia Beach Middle School. The club members made quilts with the students that will be sent to those in need in the Dominican Republic next month.

The club’s goal is to give every child a chance to smile, and falcon members are helping make this dream become a reality. Through various community service projects and fundraisers, students are able to raise both money and awareness for the organization’s mission.

Visiting the middle school allowed Operation Smile members to get the next generation excited about joining the club when they get to high school. Through this interactive quilt-making experience, the students were able to get educated about the goals of Operation Smile.

New sponsor and science teacher Michele Clark organized the trip in attempts to bring the community together for the greater good.

“Being able to give back to those in need was such a rewarding experience. I loved seeing the middle school students work with the high schoolers to actually make a visible difference in the community,” Clark said.