Exhibit 4 Smiles is a grassroots movement backed by caring people from across the exhibit industry who are reaching out to provide smiles to children suffering with life-threatening illnesses.
It all started simply enough — with the power of a single child smiling through her pain.
As the parent of a child with a life-threatening illness, Costas Varcarotas knows firsthand the hurt and uncertainty these children face daily, and the challenges their families endure.
While he was sitting in a medical clinic with his son Christopher a few years ago, Costas saw many children in pain and listened to their parents talk about their financial and emotional challenges. He decided to hold a holiday toy drive that year, and reached out to his colleagues in the exhibit industry.
In that first year, Costas gave a holiday gift to a young girl in chronic pain and watched her face light up with a smile. That smile has inspired him to do more — to bring more smiles to more children, every year. With that commitment, Exhibit 4 Smiles was born.
Since then, Exhibit 4 Smiles has continued to grow. Donations have come in from across the U.S., as well as Dubai, Greece, Germany and Singapore. Members of the Experiential Designers and Producers Foundation (EDPA) provide generous support each year.
In June 2011, Exhibit 4 Smiles became an official nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, and that August we formed our first partnership, with the Children’s Hospital at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).
Please consider delivering a smile of your own to a child in need. Just $50 will help bring smiles to a child facing pain, stress and other challenges.