Jordin Sparks, Ali Landry, Kate Walsh, Zachary Levi and a host of other celebrities raised money Friday night at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel in support of Operation Smile, a charity that provides free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries who are born with a cleft lip, a cleft palate or other facial deformities.
Prior to the dinner that culminated the gala, cocktails were served to the celebrities, guests and donors. The red carpet, which was graced by Brooke Burke-Charvet, Evan Ross and Craig T. Nelson in addition to the previously mentioned named stars, was rolled out just before the entrance to the main ballroom.
Paintings and drawings by Picasso, Matisse and Salvador Dali, among others, were displayed in designated areas. Each work of art had an accompanying price tag, with the money from each purchase going toward Operation Smile.
The event also included dinner, speeches and a performance by Jordin Sparks. Zachary Levi, most known for his role as Chuck Bartowski in NBC’s Chuck, received the Corporate Humanitarian Award for his work with Nerd Machine, a company he founded. Comedian Whitney Cummings was honored with the Smile Award.
Operation Smile was founded in 1982 by plastic surgeon Dr. William P. Magee and his wife, Kathleen.
