Operation Smile, a worldwide children's medical charity, will conduct a medical mission October 23-30, 2008 in Egypt to help children suffering from correctable facial deformities. Operation Smile Egypt will host its inaugural mission in Cairo to assist children born with cleft lips and cleft palates. The team consists of more than 40 medical and non-medical volunteers from around the world who will join in-country medical volunteers at the Arab Contractors' Hospital in Cairo. Program funding for this first-time medical mission to Cairo is sponsored by RacingThePlanet, organizers of the 4 Deserts, which include the Sahara Race 2008.

With a shared history of helping children and engineering humanitarian initiatives in China and Vietnam during the past five years, Operation Smile and RacingThePlanet will jointly welcome a group of more than 160 elite athletes into Cairo, who are competing in RacingThePlanet's Sahara Race 2008. On Friday, October 24, Operation Smile Egypt is honored to host all 4 Deserts competitors and volunteers as guests to the Operation Smile medical mission. Operation Smile volunteers will provide free physical examinations for every child or young adult. The screening is open to the public and well publicized in advance through local health agencies and community services. And from October 26-30, the Operation Smile team will provide free reconstructive surgeries to children and young adults.

The local impact of the Operation Smile medical mission on the patients and families in the Cairo region, coupled with high interest in the Sahara Race 2008, will lend a ceremonious atmosphere to the start of the race. The athletes will spend time at the hospital with the patients and families before beginning their seven-day journey into the White Sands.

Operation Smile has been conducting missions in Egypt since 2006, providing 733 children and young adults with free physical examinations and 263 patients with free reconstructive surgery in the cities of Assuit and Qena.

About Operation Smile
Founded in 1982, Operation Smile, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is a worldwide children's medical charity whose network of global volunteers are dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults. Since its founding, Operation Smile volunteers have treated more than 120,000 children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities and the organization has a presence in 51 countries. In addition to contributing free medical treatment, Operation Smile trains local medical professionals in its partner countries and leaves behind crucial equipment to lay the groundwork for long-term self-sufficiency.

About RacingThePlanet
RacingThePlanet is a unique category of rough country footraces that take place over seven days and some 250 kilometers in remote and culturally rich locations around the world. Competitors must carry all their own equipment and food, are only provided with water and a place in a tent each day but are supported by professional medical and operations teams. RacingThePlanet is international; the events typically involve competitors from over 20 different countries who are able to mingle around the campfires and in their geographically mixed tents. Currently the events consist of the 4 Deserts, a series which encompasses the Gobi Desert in China, the Atacama Desert of Chile, the Sahara Desert in Egypt and Antarctica, and a fifth event which roves to a new location each year.