The Thousand Smiles Foundation [1] is a Non-profit 501(c)(3) Californian Corporation dedicated to providing free maxillo-facial surgeries and dental work to underprivileged children in Mexico who suffer from facial deformities such as Cleft lip and palate. The Foundation owns a modern dental clinic at Ave México #124, Colonia Buenaventura, Ensenada, Baja California, México. Surgeries are performed at the Ensenada General Hospital in the same town. The foundation and its clinics are completely staffed by volunteers, mostly from The United States and México.
Thousand Smiles was formed by Rotarians from The National City Rotary Club, National City, California and the Chula Vista Rotary Club in Chula Vista, CA in 1985 and has operated since then. It is considered a Rotary International [2] project and has been the recipient of several grants from The Rotary Foundation and individual Rotary Clubs. Its Board of Directors now consists of Rotarians from California Rotary District 5340 [3], California District 5330 [4] and NW Mexico Rotary District 4110 [5]. Rotarians from many other districts participate and contribute to this project. Four two-day clinics are held yearly, generally the first Friday and Saturday of February, May, August and November. The clinic and its volunteers comply with all Mexican Government and Health Department Regulations.