Fall Into Smiles! October 2026 Newsletter
Welcome to our October 2026 newsletter! September was packed with first days of school, a talent show full of brave performers at St. Christopher's, a Union win from a private suite, a day packing food with the Eagles, Junk Food Runs, and Bingo nights that filled Ronald McDonald Houses with laughter. We also celebrated 20 years of Little Smiles with a brand-new anniversary video, and with Monte Carlo Night on November 7 just weeks away, fall is shaping up to be our biggest season of smiles yet!
Celebrating 20 Years of Smiles!
For 20 years, Little Smiles has brought joy to kids across the Greater Philadelphia tri-state region. We do it alongside an amazing network of partners: Shriners Children's Philadelphia, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Nemours Children's Health, Virtua Health, Ronald McDonald Houses of Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Greater Delaware, Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center, Today Is a Good Day, Frankie's World, Philadelphia Children's Alliance, Women Against Abuse, Covenant House PA, LARC-Norcross School, Wesley House, and Visitation Homes. Together we support their children, families, and the direct care professionals who serve them. Watch our 20th Anniversary video above to see the smiles in action!
Every monthly donor helps us say "yes" faster when a child needs joy right now. Join the 20 Years / $20 a Month movement and become part of the heart behind the smiles all year long.
September 2026 Impact Statistics
Kids Impacted: 850 in September | 2,510 year-to-date through September
Logged Activities: 22 in September
Partner Locations in the September log: Nemours, Shriners, CHOP, St. Christopher's Hospital, Mission Kids, RMH Philadelphia, RMH Southern NJ, RMH of Greater Delaware, and Covenant House.
Monte Carlo Night 2026: Early Bird Extended!
Join us on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum for an unforgettable evening that helps bring joy to children facing serious illness, tragedy, and trauma. Good news: early bird pricing has been extended to the first 100 tickets sold, so grab yours before prices go up!
A huge thank-you to The Emerson Group for their generous $15,000 presenting sponsorship. Special thanks to Scott Emerson and the committee, including Julie Murphy, Amanda Scalcione and Jenna Pumphrey, for selecting Little Smiles! Thank you to additional sponsors Spring EQ, Jeff and Suzanne Mullen, Saddlehill Winery, Tito's Vodka, Marchese Opticians, Meridian Bank, SEER Interactive, Cloudline Physical Therapy, Sterling Limousine, Firstrust Bank, Allied Worldwide, The Craig Service Group, Olive & Meadow and Rita Simonds.
Young Professionals (under 40) and Direct Care Professionals (social workers, nurses, child life specialists, therapists, case workers and doctors) can save with promo codes MCNYP or MCNDCP (cannot be combined).
St. Christopher's Onco's Got Talent!
Every year we look forward to the St. Christopher's Hospital for Children Onco's Got Talent Show, and this year did not disappoint! Volunteers from our Smile Committee, board, and sponsors served up pizza and drinks and built ice cream sundaes before the real stars took the stage. Then the kids lit up the room with a night of singing and dancing that proved, without a doubt, that Onco's Got Talent!
Thank you to our volunteers: Cindy Jacobsen of Sharp Financial and her daughter Brooklyn; David Gregory, LCSW of Nemours Children's Health; Wendy Neese and her son Luca; Zakiyyah Harris and Shawna Murray of Visitation Homes, with Zakiyyah's daughter Kayla; and our new board president Lauren Cronmiller and her cousin. Tons of treats, talent, and reasons to smile!
Back-to-School Smiles!
Remember all those backpacks, sneakers, and school supplies from our August back-to-school events? Here's the payoff: first-day-of-school smiles from September! Thank you again to the Sixers Youth Foundation and everyone who helped these kids start the year feeling confident and ready to go.
Union Win, Suite Life for Covenant House!
Youth and staff from Covenant House PA cheered on the Philadelphia Union from Predictive Analytics Group's private suite, and what a night to be there: a 5–0 rout of FC Cincinnati! Little Smiles kept the suite stocked with great food and drinks, and the group traveled in style with a round-trip limo bus from Sterling Limousine & Transportation Services.
Thank you to Stephen, Dale and Shirley Hoops and the whole crew at Predictive for opening their suite to these young people!
Eagles National Day of Service: Packing Food for Philadelphia
Hairnets on, sleeves rolled up! Our Smile Team joined the Philadelphia Eagles on their National Day of Service to help pack an incredible 1 million bags of food for families across Greater Philadelphia. We worked side by side with volunteers from Wawa, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Cradles to Crayons, Planet Fitness, and many more to support Philabundance in the fight against hunger.
Thank you to Shannon Daly, Kendall Brew and Steve G. for representing Little Smiles. Go Birds!
Eagles Game Day Smiles!
We were thrilled to treat a wonderful family from Visitation Homes to an unforgettable Eagles game day experience! When Avane Ervin from the Eagles called and said that they wanted to send a Little Smiles' family to the game, we knew exactly which one to send! Thanks to our amazing partners at Visitation Homes, the family enjoyed a fun pre-game tailgate packed with great food and game-day energy before heading inside to watch the Eagles kick off the season with a win. A massive thank-you to the Eagles for donating the tickets and making this incredible Philadelphia experience possible! Go Birds! 🦅🏈
Junk Food Runs Bring Comfort, Snacks, and Smiles!
Our September Junk Food Run at Shriners Children's Philadelphia is in the books! It's always amazing to meet families who travel from all over the world to Philadelphia for their child's care, and to give them a delicious break in the middle of it all. Thank you to Smile Captains Alexis Alman and Alli Baron from The Craig Groups, along with volunteers Lauren Black, Jennifer Furey, Matthew Crescenzo, AIF®, CPFA® of Secure Planning Group, and Gavin Sheridan!
Over at the Ronald McDonald House Philadelphia Family Room at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the carts rolled in for another smile-filled Junk Food Run and Pizza Party. Who wouldn't smile when these show up? We'd love to know: what's your favorite snack or treat?
In September we also brought a Junk Food Run to Nemours & St. Christopher's Hospital. Sometimes the gift is a snack. Sometimes it's the chance to breathe for a minute and feel normal again.
Family Bingo Nights at Ronald McDonald House!
Ronald McDonald House Philadelphia: What a great night with Alexis Alman, Alli Baron and the crew from The Craig Groups, who joined us for a Served With Love Dinner and our monthly Family Bingo Night. Smile Captain, Kendall Brew and her friend Ada, made sure that the kids went home with more than $300 in Five Below prizes!
Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey: When care brings you far from home, a simple game night can mean everything. We recently hosted a unforgettable Family Bingo Night at the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey in Camden! Many of the familiar faces we love from Shriners joined us for an evening packed with pure fun, great conversation, and a much-needed distraction from medical treatments.
A huge thank-you to volunteers Scarlet and Chrissy McDermott for coming out to host alongside our Executive Director, Steve Grandizio. You helped create an atmosphere full of laughter, comfort, and unforgettable smiles.
Standing With Kids During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and we provided awareness items for 40 children at Nemours so patients and families could show their gold.
Going to the Unmasking Gala? Choose Little Smiles!
Little Smiles is one of six charities in the running at the JerseyMan | PhillyMan Magazine 11th Annual Unmasking Gala on Wednesday, November 5. When you buy your ticket, choose Steve Grandizio & Little Smiles as your charity: the charities compete for the biggest share of the night's funds, and last year's winner took home $15,000! Early bird tickets are available now.
BONUS- the emcee has been announced as legendary coach Dick Vermeil!
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Thank you for being part of our Little Smiles family. Whether you donate, volunteer, sponsor an activity, share our stories, or cheer us on from home, you help make joy possible. Together, we are changing lives, one smile at a time! Go Birds! Go Union!
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