On June 18th & 19th, 2007, Taryag Nursery in Brooklyn, NY incorporated the Meir Panim “Smile-a-Thon” into their graduation ceremonies.

Several days prior to graduation, each child took home a “Smile-a-Thon” lunch bag, which they filled generously with coins and bills that they received from their parents. As one of the teachers commented, “The children were ecstatic about this project. Each day I told them how important it is to help feed hungry children in Israel. They couldn’t wait to participate.”

The graduation theme this year was “I am proud to be a Jew”. Upon arriving at the topic of charity, the children were asked to retrieve the “Smile-a-Thon” bags from their parents. The children eagerly poured their bags into a giant soup pot, squealing with delight as the pot grew. The smiles on their faces told of the lessons they had learned. The children then received prizes, goodies, and Meir Panim paraphernalia to take home.

Meir Panim was proud to be a part of such a memorable experience. We would like to extend our warmest gratitude to all of the participants, young and old, who made this event possible.