World Smile Day
| World Smile Day | |
|---|---|
| Date | First Friday in October |
| 2015 date | October 2 |
| 2016 date | October 7 |
| 2017 date | October 6 |
| 2018 date | October 5 |
| Frequency | annual |
World Smile Day® is celebrated on the first Friday in the month of October every year. The idea of World Smile Day was coined and initiated by Harvey Ball, a commercial artist from Worcester, Massachusetts. Harvey Ball is known to have created the Smiley Face in 1963.[1] The World's first World Smile Day was held in the year 1999 and has been held annually since.
Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation
After Harvey died in 2001, the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation was created to honor his name and memory, with the slogan "improving this world, one smile at a time." The Foundation continues as the official sponsor of World Smile Day® each year.
Goal
The organization states that their goal is to "make as many people as possible aware of World Smile Day® by using the web, social media, and your help to encourage smiles and acts of kindness around the world."
World Smile Day® Events
World Smile Day® continues to be celebrated every year in Worcester with a hot air balloon, sidewalk chalk activities, and the worlds largest human smiley face. Additionally, world smile day is celebrated around the world by individuals, schools, businesses, and organizations trying to make the world a better place by delivering meals, making videos, and much more.