9 November 1995 – 9 November 2018
23 years of action of “The Smile of the Child”
“We all know and talk about children on the streets that have lost their smile. They don’t smile because they don’t have money, toys, they don’t have any food and some don’t even have parents. So start thinking and leave the words aside, let’s all unite and give what we can to the poor children: Albanian children, white and black, they are all just children and the deserve to smile. This organization shall be called “THE SMILE OF THE CHILD”. So let’s all help, if we all unite we will succeed”.
‘The Smile of the Child’ was founded in 1995 by 10-year-old Andreas Yannopoulos, who, shortly before leaving from life, expressed in his diary his wish to found an Organization that will ensure for all children what he had so generously enjoyed: love, care, true interest, respect.
Today, the words of little Andreas remain alive through the relentless work of ‘The Smile of the Child’, active all these years in tackling the everyday problems of children and ensuring their rights, not in theory, but in practice. Daily, 24 hours a day, nationwide, the Organization is next to Children victims of any form of Violence, Missing Children, Children with Health problems, and children living in Poverty or threatened by Poverty.
‘The Smile of the Child’ is staffed by specialized scientific personnel and simultaneously receives the precious support of volunteers, citizens and companies who trust the work of the Organization and support it in practice through donations and sponsorships. The financial data of the Organization is publicized and is audited by the International Body of Auditors of Ernst and Young.
It is worthwhile to mention that ‘The Smile of the Child’ has established the Andreas Yannopoulos Award in order to honor all those who provide their services through concrete actions to children in need. The Award is awarded to all those who promote the vision of 10-year-old Andreas either on a personal or an institutional level.
‘The Smile of the Child’ is entering its 3rd decade of operation, however it always carries on the soul of a 10-year-old boy who believes that everything is possible and dreams can become a reality.
On the 11th of November, more than 130 runners will participate in the 36th Athens Authentic Marathon, honoring the memory of 10-year-old Andreas and spreading the message for the Smile of every Child! Employees, volunteers, supporters and friends will be present for ‘The Smile of the Child” and for Andreas, who was fond of sports and was winning awards by offering strength and Smiles to everyone around him!
