For over two decades, Alliance for Smiles has thrived thanks to the remarkable generosity of its supporters, volunteers, and donors—people who have given their time, skills, resources, and hard-earned dollars to bring healing to children with cleft conditions around the world. Among these steadfast supporters are Tina Fischlin, an AfS Board Member and licensed real estate consultant, and Debbie Kent, a longtime nonprofit advocate. Together with Debbie’s husband Ronnie, they’ve been the heart behind Dining for Smiles, an annual fundraiser that’s been lighting up Greensboro, Georgia, for 17 years and helping provide life-changing cleft surgeries for children around the world.
A Simple Idea That Grew into a Tradition
The inspiration for Dining for Smiles came in 2008 from Barbara Fisher, a former AfS Board Member. Tina recalls being recruited by Barbara during a Rotary Club meeting: “She and I were at a Rotary Club meeting one day, and she said, ‘Why don’t we host a dinner party?’ So, we just asked a couple of friends of ours if they wanted to host a Dining for Smiles event at their home. And in the first couple of years, we had them in private homes. The first year we had it at two of our friends’ homes with maybe 10 people, a very intimate dinner.”
Since then, the event has grown significantly, thanks in part to Debbie and Ronnie Kent, who offered to host it in their own home. “They were so touched by the work that we do and the lives that we change, and they just have the most generous hearts,” says Tina. While AfS’s global mission continues to inspire donations, she adds with a smile that it’s Ronnie’s excellent barbecue that brings their friends and neighbors to their table.
In true Southern style, the menu features potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, and peach cobbler—a spread that has become as iconic as the event itself.
From Backyard to Pavilion
As the guest list grew, Debbie realized they’d outgrown their home: “It’s just been kind of a wonderful thing to watch. When we had 60 people in our home trying to sit down and eat barbecue, I said, ‘I don’t think we can do this’.”
The event was moved to Linger Longer Pavilion, a community space in their neighborhood to accommodate over 100 guests. “We started having it there and just inviting our friends and family to attend. It just continues to grow. We have new people coming into our neighborhood, our new friends. I mean, we had people coming from Atlanta. We had people coming from North Carolina. We had people that don’t live in our community anymore that come back. And I think it’s all because of Ronnie’s barbecue. It’s the best.”
More Than Just a Meal
The event isn’t just about the food—it’s about connection and impact. “We show people what we’re doing, and we give them feedback on patients that we’ve had,” Tina explains. “We show them a video put together by our volunteer photographer Micah Green with before and after pictures of patients. And it just opens everybody’s heart to help support what we’re doing.”
Like the Night of Smiles gala, Dining for Smiles includes a silent auction featuring treasures from around the world—scarves, baskets, pearls, and more. Friends pitch in with offerings for a live auction as well, including pet-sitting services and weekend getaways in North Georgia.
“What I love about what we do is how the entire community comes together,” says Debbie. “When we send the invitation out, immediately people start texting me, ‘Do you want me to bring coleslaw this year? Would you rather have deviled eggs? Or what can I do?’ Everyone is so excited to be a part and help. And it’s just amazing what our small little community can do.”
Creating a Mission Experience at Home
Not everyone can travel across the world to participate in a medical mission—but Tina and Debbie have made it possible for their community to feel like they’re part of one.
“Not everybody has the opportunity to go on a mission, but they all have the opportunity to be a part of it, whether it’s making a bowl of coleslaw or writing checks, and all of it makes a difference,” shares Debbie.
Over the past 17 years, their efforts have raised thousands of dollars for AfS. But what keeps them coming back year after year?
“For me, it’s the donors that support us,” says Tina. “Because we make that ask or we have this event, they know that we’re going to be good fiduciary agents of their funds. They know that we are going to make sure that these kids get the care that they need. And I think that that’s my reason why I continue.”
Debbie echoes that sentiment: “You know how these funds are being spent and the lives that are changing. And I think it keeps the world small. And I will, you know, as long as I’m physically able, I will be able to help raise funds for this wonderful organization. And when it’s possible, actually go and be there, boots on the ground.”
The Heart of a Community
Perhaps what makes Dining for Smiles so special is how close to home it brings the AfS mission.
“Not a lot of people can go and touch it and feel it,” Tina says. “And I feel like we bring that touchy feely experience as close to home for them as we can. They feel like they’re experiencing a mission. They feel like even though they physically don’t go on a mission, they feel like with Debbie and myself that they have been on it because we brought it back to them.”
