Parsippany Musicians Raise Money For New Smiles

Parsippany musicians raised more than $14,000 through a benefit concert to provide free surgeries for children with a cleft lip or palate.

The 4Smiles Benefit Concert, held on April 27, at Parsippany Hills High School, raised money for Operation Smile, a nonprofit organization that provides the free surgeries.

The benefit raised $14,000 and will provide new smiles to 58 children and a chance to escape a lifetime of pain, shame, and isolation, members of the organization said in a written statement.

Musicians included sitar maestro Partha Sarathi Chatterjee of the Taalsadhana School of Indian Classical Music; the Lakeland Youth Symphony String Orchestra, composed of over 60 high school musicians; GNGR rock band; the Archana Nrityalay dance school; and Abhinav Karale, who performed the violin and sitar, and also emceed the event along with Brian Reilly, another Delbarton student, who participated in a recent Operation Smile Medical Mission as a student volunteer.  

The concert was the idea of Parsippany resident, and Delbarton sophomore, Abhinav Karale, who came up with the idea after attending the Operation Smile International Student Leadership Conference at Georgetown University last summer.

“There, he gathered with more than 500 students from 22 different countries around the globe to discover how thousands of medical and non-medical professionals worldwide volunteer their time to ignite change by providing medical exams, surgeries, and care each year at no cost to patients and their families,” the organization said.

The idea for a benefit concert was sparked by his musical background as a student of the Lakeland Youth Symphony senior group, Taalsadhana school of Indian Classical Music, and the Delbarton Jazz Ensemble.

About 250 people attended the concert in total, including Lauri Catena, national director of Operation Smile’s U.S. chapter.

Karale, who was recognized with an award from Operation Smile, is already considering making this an annual event.

“There are so many ways to help others,” he said. “It’s about finding one you have passion for.”