Operation Smile returns with celebrity Ski Challenge, community events April 3–6

Rebel Wilson poses in Deer Valley at the 2023 Operation Smile event in Park City. Photo: Operation Smile

Olympic gold medalists, reality TV stars, and Emmy-winning hosts headline a four-day fundraising weekend marking 40 years of the organization's impact in Utah.

PARK CITY, UT — Operation Smile will bring Olympic athletes, television personalities, and local community members to Deer Valley Resort and Park City from April 3–6 for its 14th Annual Celebrity Ski & Smile Challenge, a fundraising weekend benefiting children born with cleft conditions worldwide.

The event marks four decades of the global nonprofit’s work in Utah.

The centerpiece of the weekend, the Celebrity Ski & Smile Challenge on Saturday, April 4, at Deer Valley’s NASTAR Race Course, will feature Emmy Award-winning host Brooke Burke as event chair, alongside fellow chair Scott Rigsby and television personality Billy Bush. Olympic gold medalists Ashley Caldwell and Justin Schoenefeld — both members of the 2022 U.S. Mixed Team Aerials squad — will compete alongside freestyle skiing legends Fuzz Feddersen, Wayne Wong, and Trace Worthington.

Reality television stars Jessi Draper, of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” and Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez, from “Love Island USA” Season 7, are also slated to participate.

“This weekend is about bringing together our global community of hope builders — from Olympians and entertainers to students and families,” said Kathy Magee, co-founder, president, and CEO of Operation Smile.

Sports broadcaster and former professional snowboarder Tina Dixon, a four-time X Games medalist, will serve as emcee and race announcer on the slopes.

The weekend opens Friday, April 3, with a VIP reception at Deer Crest Club at the St. Regis Deer Valley. On Saturday evening, a gala dinner on Main Street will feature a silent auction, live performances, and award presentations. Actor Dash Mihok, known for Showtime’s “Ray Donovan,” and his family will receive the Founders Circle Award for their long-term support of the organization. Willy Sikora, a young advocate who was born with a cleft condition, will be recognized with the Cotto Changemaker Award.

The weekend expands Sunday, April 6, with community events at Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse in Park City. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., volunteers will assemble patient care packages and participate in a supply drive for children receiving surgical care through Operation Smile programs. A jazz-inspired evening event, Night of Smiles, follows from 7 to 9 p.m.

Ticket packages and event registration are available at operationsmile.org/skiandsmile.