Key Club helps those with cleft palates

The Gallup High School Key Club is raising money to help pay for cleft palate operations in third world countries. The group is front, from left; Danielle Counter, Alyssa Frame, Andriea Pirlot, Kathleen D'Arazio and Meghan Brendal. Second row; Micah Clark, Falisha Begay, Adrian Valles, Evan Chavez, Megan Chatterton, Rachel Henderson, Fin Zidorn, Sanjog Singh and Daetto Lee. [Photo by Brian Leddy/Independent]

By Kevin Killough
Staff writer

GALLUP — On Friday, the Gallup High School Key Club kicked off its efforts to raise money to pay for 12 cleft palate operations in third world countries as part of Operation Smile. It began with the painting of oversized keys, which will be used to encourage contributions to their goal of $2,800 for the operations.

The very visible keys are placed in a person’s front yard. When that person makes a donation, he or she gets to pick whose yard the key will be placed in next. And then the next donor can choose the next and so on down the line.

“What you get for your money, besides the help for the operations, is we come and remove the key. And you get to decide who gets the key next,” Kiwanis Club sponsor Calvin Marshall said.

This is the second year the Key Club has raised money for cleft palate operations. Last year, they were able to pay for eleven operations.

“The goal this year is to do one more,” Marshall said.
Marshall said the activity provides an encouraging sense of accomplishment for area teens that builds confidence and leadership skills.

“A lot of people feel powerless in the face of the world problems. This allows [the children] to feel that they can do something,” he said.

He also said it provides a positive activity for teens, while helping the less fortunate children in other countries. He said that a cleft lip and cleft palate can “drastically affect their quality of life.” The children are rejected by friends and family.

“We try do something when you have lots of teenagers sitting around with nothing to do. Kiwanis and Key Club are about service to youth,” he explained.

Key Club member Fin Zindorn was among the dozen teenagers that helped paint the signs. He is an exchange student from Flensburg, Germany, and said that he’s really enjoyed studying in Gallup.

“I wanted to give Gallup something back; give something back to the community,” Zindorn said.

Faculty Sponsor Christina Nye said the club also helps teens build life-long friendships.

“It helps them realize that it can be fun to serve the community,” she said.

According to the organization’s Web site, “Key Club is an international student-led organization which provides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership." Operation Smile is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia and has treated more than 100,000 children since being founded in 1982.