The event was hosted by Smile Train treatment partner FAMAZON, led by Drs. Frank and Cynthia Rocha in Belém, the capital city of Brazil’s largest state, Pará. Situated on Guajará Bay in the Amazon River Delta, the city is often referred to as “the gateway to the Amazon.”
This connection to the rainforest was emphasized in the event theme, “Smiles from the Amazon,” or “Sorrisos da Amazônia”, as well as the event decor and activities. When attendees arrived, the treatment center had been transformed into a jungle. Trees with broad, green leaves and vines draped over walkways lit by a green hue that mimicked sunlight filtering through a dense rainforest canopy. Amidst the vegetation, a leopard and parrot walked (though, unlike the true leopards and parrots of the Amazon, these may have occasionally stopped to chat with patients and families and joined in the day’s activities).