Hotel chain helps raise funds for children born with cleft lip

By: Niña V. Guno - 6 years ago

This Christmas season, cleft patients are being assisted with the medical care they need by Seda Hotels for the second year in a row.

Top row, L-R: Virgie Gula, financial controller of Seda Vertis North; Seda Group general manager Brett Patrick Hickey; Mary Ann Hickey, wife of Mr. Hickey; Kimmy Coseteng-Flaviano, Smile Train’s area director for Southeast Asia and Cinty Yniguez, director of sales and marketing pose for photos with the children of Smile Train. Image: Courtesy of Greenbulb Communications

International cleft charity Smile Train partnered with Seda Hotels to fund-raise for children born with a cleft lip and/or palate. Smile Train’s mission is to provide comprehensive cleft care from surgery to speech therapy for disadvantaged communities.

For the benefit of Smile Train, Seda Hotels will sell train ornaments and Christmas cards in its locations in major cities nationwide from Taguig to Cagayan de Oro.

A fund-raising art exhibit is ongoing at Seda Vertis North in Quezon City until Dec. 9. Artists include Sinag de Leon, who is known for her intricate paper cut-outs; Ivy Lim, who designs product packaging; DJ and entrepreneur Roberto Sanchez; and Thai artists Jirawat Pramphet and Arthit Pansuay. Proceeds will go to Smile Train.

Ivy Lim and Kimmy Coseteng-Flaviano, Smile Train’s area director for Southeast Asia (Image: Courtesy of Greenbulb Communications)

To launch the partnership for the holiday season, a tree-lighting ceremony was held at Seda Vertis North on Nov. 16. The charity’s cleft patients performed Christmas carols during the event.

Smile Train cleft patients perform during Seda Vertis North’s tree-lighting event. Image: Courtesy of Greenbulb Communications

Seda Hotels group general manager Brett Hickey said, “During the first year of our partnership, the Seda community raised enough funds to help support more than 30 surgeries. We are positive that we will be able to help more children this year.” /ra

50,000 free life-changing cleft lip, palate surgeries celebrated by Smile Train

Fundraising art exhibit, movie screening mark World Smile Day for Smile Train