N.C. family on a 50-day run to support a cleft-focused nonprofit

A North Carolina family ran through Sioux Falls on Tuesday in support of Smile Train, an international nonprofit that supports free surgeries for cleft-affected children.

A small community of local runners joined the family of four at Falls Park, beginning their 5K fun run on the bike trail and looping back.

“I couldn’t get over the really nice park and trail system,” said Jeremy Hough, who is the father of the family and has been planning this trip for more than a year. “You all are so lucky to have that here.”

Jeremy, his wife, Kelly, and teenage daughters Campbell and Caroline began a 50-day charity run on Sept. 11 in Anchorage, Alaska. Their goal is to run 50 5Ks for 50 days straight in all 50 states. They've made it through Alaska, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota, and are on their way now toward North Dakota and Wisconsin. They'll continue to loop clockwise through the U.S. and end their endeavor Oct. 31 in Maui, Hawaii.

“We’re looking to generate awareness, maybe raise some money and interact with people as we travel around the country,” Jeremy Hough said. “We want people to cheer us on or come alongside us and share their stories.”

Why they are running

Since 2018, the work of Smile Train is made possible by training hospital staff worldwide and providing resources that allow dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons to offer cleft-affected children high-quality, necessary care.

A cleft palate or a cleft lip is a common birth condition in which the roof of the mouth and / or the lip has an opening or a split that can make it difficult for infants and children to eat, breath, speak or hear. It’s the most common facial difference in children worldwide and is also associated with ostracization from society, bullying in school and even children being rejected by their parents or family members.

The Hough’s oldest daughter, Campbell, 17, was born with a cleft lip. Her experience is her family’s inspiration to take this on. Since birth, she has endured a lip repair at 3 months old, a palate repair at 10 months old, a bone graft and lip revision at 8 years old and an oral surgery to pull down a tooth just this past year.

“Oh, my word, she was in so much pain,” Kelly Hough said. “It was horrible. But Smile Train has a whole team of social workers, psychologists, oral surgeons, dentists and orthodontists to help families like us afford multiple surgeries. It’s an incredible comprehensive team approach.”

Their fundraising adventure is called “Miles for Smiles: Run 50 Strong.” The Houghs thus far have raised $100,000 for Smile Train and hope to raise $50,000 more during their 50-day nationwide jaunt this fall.

They first flew from home to Alaska, then flew to Seattle from Alaska for their second run and will now continue the remainder of their trip in their camper by staying at KOAs. They spent time in the Black Hills before visiting Sioux Falls and were able to attend the nightly lighting ceremony at Mt. Rushmore.

“Let me tell you, it was so moving to be there,” said Jeremy Hough. “The ranger spoke so well and passionately about our history and the importance of voting.”

Jeremy Hough recently retired from the military and said that, at the ceremony, all veterans were called down to the stage to retire the flag together.

“I got to stand on the stage with fellow serviceman,” he said. “I could never had known I would get to experience that! It was really incredible.”

Dedication to the cause

Kelly Hough said a lot of friends have scoffed at the family's decision to embark on a two-month, cross-country road trip in a camper and with their two dogs. “But we get to see every state,” she said. “We feel called to do this, and it’s for such a good cause.”

Campbell is a senior in high school. She and her sister are doing online learning until they return to their school for spring semester.

“I kept asking Caroline, ‘Are you sure you want to miss half of your senior year of high school?’ ” Kelly said. “And she said to me, ‘Mom, I’m not missing anything. I want to be here for these kids, it’s important to me.’ ”

“There are so many families that have no idea Smile Train even exists,” Campbell added. “They are in countries that don’t have the same resources as we do and need serious help. But this is such an easy fix and a simple surgery. Why wouldn’t I want to talk about that and help kids?”

Kelly Hough said the typical cost of a cleft repair surgery in a foreign country is about $250.

“That’s someone skipping their Starbucks for a month,” she said. “That can transform the patient’s life and a family’s life. What an incredible impact a dollar can make.”

Smile Train has supported more than 2 million free cleft surgeries in more than 75 countries, and the Hough family has raised more than $100,000 for the organization.

“It was a lot of work to get here, but we are absolutely committed to this,” Jeremy Hough said. “It’d be great if we could get a smile out of our visit from Sioux Falls—or even more would be incredible.”

To donate, visit SmileTrain.org.