[Karrueche Tran and Quincy Brown]
On May 4, 2016, Quincy Brown and Karrueche Tran hosted the Smile Train Benefit at the Sofitel restaurant Riviera 31 in Beverly Hills, CA. This was a night to create a conversation and raise awareness about the reality of living with a cleft lip. The money raised for the foundation is by no means for the vanity of the children; a cleft lip leads to issues with eating and speaking, making this a daily struggle. Smile Train aims to make these surgeries available to kids who come from families without access to finances to afford these operations to improve their lives.
We caught up with Tran to discuss her involvement with Smile Train and her hand in the world of charity. When asked her most fulfilling moment her response was heartfelt and raw.
"Our trip to Haiti was very eye opening, it was life changing. We were there, we were in it. We got to see their living conditions, and we visited the hospital; we even saw a surgery. Being able to connect with the families and see how happy they were and to see how everything was going was just awesome. It made me very grateful of what I have around me and to be a part of them [Smile Train]," said Karrueche.
Quincy Brown, another celebrity involved in SmileTrain had also recently returned from a trip to Haiti. In a brief conversation he shared a heartfelt note about how the impact of even the smallest deed can have on someone's life.
"[I didn't even realize], how much a pack of yo-yo's, that cost a dollar, at a dollar store, like a pack of 20. We came with a couple bags of them and those yo-yo's were gone in seconds, and they were so grateful and so happy." Comparing the moment to over privileged kids in places like Beverly Hills who may have been jaded by the classic toy, Quincy was elated to have been able to give back to those so deserving, and so appreciative. He expressed his admiration for the kids and his plans to do more on a future return trip to Haiti.
We urge you to check out the Smile Train website and see what you can do locally to have a hand in helping out kids born into less fortunate circumstance.
[Michael Sam]
[Quincy Brown, Karrueche Tran and Zachary Thomas]