Organ Players Supply Smiles


SALT LAKE CITY – A jar was passed around during classes of a local organ
group, The Gallery of Life, asking for donations to the non-profit
organization Operation Smiles. Many slipped their spare change into the jar,
and eventually their combined coins added up to almost $600.

“The biggest majority of us that play the organ are mostly retired or fully
retired,” said Terry Faber, a member of the group. “Most of us are on limited
incomes, but that doesn’t keep us from donating.”

Faber says they chose Operation smiles because it hits home to some of the
members in the group. “One of our instructor’s daughter was born with a
cleft lip…so it’s really kind of personal to us.” He adds that the difficulty in
affording an operation to repair a cleft lip is not only at the local level, but
overseas as well. “In those third world countries they don’t have enough to
eat let alone pay for a cleft lip.”

The Gallery of Life also held a benefit concert where they raised $1600 for
Operation Smiles. That totals their donation to $2,175, enough for about 8
operations for those who can’t afford it on their own. “We had a gal that
donated a hard earned dollar,” Faber said, “…but when you tack it on to
somebody else it adds up to $1600.”

Gallery of Life members present donation check to KSL’s Brooke Walker,
local
Operation Smile spokesperson, and Wade Hooton with the Utah Chapter of
Operation Smile.

While their group has made donations to several organizations over the past
4 years, Faber says they plan to keep on giving. “I think as a group, ya know
not only do we keep each other together because of the music, it helps keep
us together when we’re doing something for someone else.”



For more information on Operation Smile, or to make a donation, visit www.operationsmile.org.

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