Building Smiles remains dedicated to bringing hope and happiness to families affected by childhood cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Our goal has always been to bring joy to these families by providing entertainment and fun activities during difficult times.
The realities of the COVID-19 pandemic presented a particularly difficult challenge for us. With its heightened danger to those with immune-compromised systems and other risk factors, it was vital that communities take strong precautions to protect the health and well-being of families such as those served by Building Smiles.
And so, between 2020 and 2023, the board made the choice to host virtual events rather than anything in person. We continued to monitor the progress of the pandemic as well as the development and distribution of vaccines among the public at large. And now, after some discussion among the board and with families, we have made the decision to return to public events in 2024.
We know that you are taking every precaution possible to continue to protect the health of your families, and we will do everything we can to address your concerns, listen to your feedback and make informed decisions regarding the safety of future in-person events. We encourage the use of masks by all who feel it necessary, and we make an effort to ensure that, whenever possible, events are limited to the Building Smiles board and our families.
Our top priority is always your safety and well-being. Building Smiles will continue to do all we can to bring smiles and hope to you and your family, and do so safely.