NEW YORK, June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Smile Train, the world's largest cleft charity, and GroupM, the leading global media investment management group, today announced a new partnership to raise awareness of the issues faced by children living with untreated clefts in the developing world. GroupM will leverage its unparalleled access to media partners in markets worldwide to help Smile Train engage potential supporters who can aid the charity's efforts to provide cleft repair surgeries and comprehensive cleft care to children in need. In the first year, GroupM will help Smile Train to engage audiences in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Philippines, U.K. and U.S.
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Millions of children in developing countries with untreated clefts live in shame, but more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing and speaking. Cleft repair surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Smile Train's outreach has impacted the lives of children in more than 85 countries where it has provided local doctors with funding and education to properly care for patients and their families. Since its founding in 1999, Smile Train has provided more than one million cleft repair surgeries across the world.
"I am personally moved by Smile Train's successes helping transform the lives of children challenged by untreated cleft lip and palate," said Dom Proctor, President, GroupM Global. "It's a simple marketing challenge. The more support we get from media partners, the more funds we raise and the more kids have life-changing surgeries. The ROI is amazing and clear; $250 changes a child's life forever."
"Smile Train is proud to partner with GroupM to raise awareness and expand our footprint globally to reach more children suffering from clefts," said Susannah Schaefer, CEO, Smile Train.
For more information about Smile Train's global efforts and to make a donation, please visit smiletrain.org. Follow Smile Train on Twitter and Instagram @SmileTrain and on Facebook at facebook.com/SmileTrain.
About Smile Train
Smile Train is an international children's charity with a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate. Millions of children in developing countries with untreated clefts live in isolation, but more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing and speaking. Cleft repair surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Our sustainable model provides training, funding and resources to empower local doctors in 85+ developing countries to provide 100%-free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care in their own communities. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.
About GroupM
GroupM is the leading global media investment management company serving as the parent to WPP media agencies including Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom, Maxus, and Essence, as well as the programmatic digital media platform, Xaxis, each global operations in their own right with leading market positions. GroupM's primary purpose is to maximize performance of WPP's media agencies by operating as leader and collaborator in trading, content creation, sports, digital, finance, proprietary tool development and other business-critical capabilities. GroupM's focus is to deliver unrivaled marketplace advantage to its clients, stakeholders and people.
Discover more about GroupM at www.groupm.com.
Follow @GroupMWorldwide on Twitter
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Press Contacts:
Smile Train
Nijha Diggs, Director of PR
ndiggs@smiletrain.org
646.751.3231
GroupM
David Grabert, Global Director of Corporate Communications
David.Grabert@GroupM.com
212.297.8092
