Charity spotlight: What is the mission of Smiles Charity in McKinney?

SMILES CHARITY utilizes a unique fund-raising concept of bringing an entire community together for a concert and family festival.

Generous local and corporate businesses sponsor the annual concert event held over Memorial Day weekend in McKinney, Texas.

Thousands attend the charity concert donating even more money and raising even more awareness for the designated beneficiary. 100 percent of the net profits from the annual event are then donated to build the designated home.

In its first three years, Smiles Charity benefitted Habitat for Humanity and helped build three homes for three amazing McKinney families who are beating the odds and now living the dream of home ownership. In 2011, Smiles Charity was honored to partner with an organization to help fund the build of two homes for severely wounded soldiers. Since then, Smiles Charity has continued to support disabled veterans by building a mortgage free home each year.

The results are tangible: Ten homes have been built, one more is within weeks of its groundbreaking and the 12th home, which is a remodel of our veterans existing home to make it handicap accessible, is in the planning stages.

The concept works: The community centered concert events allow the entire community to come together to enjoy a family friendly event, learn about the families that Smiles Charity benefits, and then gives the community the opportunity to participate in honoring these beneficiaries by donating on the spot during the concert event. The concert event, which drew 6,000 fans in its first year and has grown to as many as 15,000 fans, allows local businesses to provide goods and services to the community thus helping to spur economic stability in the area. And finally, all net proceeds raised during the concert event go towards helping deserving families realize their dream of home ownership.

2017 CONCERT INFO: 10TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT & FAMILY FESTIVAL