One of the newest clubs on campus, Sharing Smiles, had its first show this past week. Four of the founding members, Eugene Vortsman ’08, Sarah Bedell ’09, Joanna Bedell ’09, and Alex Clos ’10, arranged and attended a performance for the children at Franciscan Hospital.

Located in nearby Brighton, Franciscan Hospital specializes in treating children with special needs. Most of the children reside in the hospital and need constant care and supervision. In this way, the performance was a great chance for the kids to enjoy a fun and relaxing environment.

The show which took place on Tuesday, February 26, featuredDerek Tesser ’09 playing Disney songs on the viola and Joe Ruvido ’10 playing some old-time favorites on the guitar. After the show, the children got to interact with the club members and performers, and also had a chance to play the instruments, which they especially enjoyed.

Sharing Smiles was founded as a way to bring talented Brandeis students and performance groups to hospitals in the Boston area.

By acting as liaisons between the hospitals and Brandeis groups, members of Sharing Smiles hope to bring fun and entertainment to those who might not have the chance to smile every day.

This first performance marks the beginning of great things to come. Although the performance at Franciscan Hospital was kept small, larger performances are expected later this semester. Future performers include a cappella groups, comedy groups, members of the juggling club, various campus dance groups, and solo musicians.

Editor’s note:

If anyone is interested in performing for or joining Sharing Smiles, please contact Alex Clos at alexclos@brandeis.edu