Sixteen paintings will be auctioned in “Night of Smiles 2011” in HCM City on
May 21, to raise fund for cleft palate children.

A representative of Operation Smile said that the 16
paintings for auction are the artworks by famous Vietnamese artists.

“Around 300 businesses will join the auction party. The
entire revenue will be used to cover surgeries for kids with cleft palate,” the
representative said.

According to Operation Smile, before the auction, some firms
donated $16,000. The cost for a surgery is between $200-400. In Vietnam,
around 3,000 children need the operations.

Last year, painting auctions raised enough funds to help
nearly 2,000 kids with cleft palate, Operation Smile said.

Since 1989, around 17,000 Vietnamese children have had cleft
palate operations, thanks to Operation Smile’s assistance.

PV