Operation Smile, an organization that supports volunteer physicians and other healthcare professionals providing life-changing reconstructive cleft palate surgeries to children worldwide, honored Malibu Realtor Susan Monus with the John Connor Humanitarian Award at its annual Smile Gala on Sept. 9. It was awarded in recognition of her many philanthropic and community activities and financial support.
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Monus, one of Malibu’s premier real estate professionals, also supports multiple Malibu charitable activities, including The Special Education Foundation in Malibu, Free Arts for Abused Children, Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School, The Malibu High Shark Fund, Heal the Bay, Malibu Urgent Care and the Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue. In addition, she is a part of the Society of Excellence, the highest level of achievement for Coldwell Banker and has been on the top 100 list for CB agents since 1995.
Operation Smile provides surgeries to children who would otherwise live out their lives with significant disfigurement and social stigma. The organization that provides the surgeries (averaging $240 per procedure for usually less than an hour of operation) was founded by Dr. William P. Magee, Jr., an American plastic and craniofacial surgeon in 1982, with his wife, Kathleen S. Magee. He serves as the organization’s CEO. Gala chairs were Kevin Beggs, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, Brooke Burke-Charvet and David Charvet, and Jennifer Salke.