Saving smiles, one plastic bottle at a time

Sixth-graders at Levy-Lakeside Elementary School in Merrick are raising funds to provide cleft palate surgery to children around the world by collecting recyclable plastic bottles.

Levy-Lakeside recently started a Smile Train club, headed by sixth-grade resource room teacher Susan Holland and her student intern Hanna David. Smile Train, a nonprofit organization that depends on donations, provides cleft palate surgery to children in need for as little $250. In January, Holland challenged the sixth-grade to raise $250 to provide at least one surgery by redeeming plastic bottles at 5 cents each.

“The response from the sixth-grade class was overwhelming, and the class of 2012 intends to save many smiles before they graduate in June,” Holland said.

Levy-Lakeside is working with All Island Beverage in Bellmore to redeem the bottles.