Mercer Middle School Goes the Distance for Smiles

There is an unfair stereotype that kids today don’t see the world outside of their phones. But on a recent Friday, students at Mercer Middle School in Loudoun County, Virginia, stood outside on an overcast day anxiously awaiting the arrival of a special guest. Most thought someone so famous, so cool, would never actually show up at their school but stayed out on the field anyway, eyes locked on the building just in case, with an intensity radically opposite the detached boredom with which they usually stare at their screens.

When the guest showed up last, they broke down in laughter and tears and shrieks so ecstatic you might have thought Taylor Swift had just shown up. But it wasn’t her who walked out of those doors with a visitor sticker on their chest; it was John Bates.

Yes, John is the tight end for the first Washington Commanders team of their lifetimes to reach the NFC Championship Game, but mostly, they were excited because they knew he was born with a cleft.

Loudoun’s Calling

Every school has its reputation. Mercer is known for its commitment to smiles.

It’s the hard-earned legacy of one man: Brian Fontaine, who has taught for over three decades. In 2011, he decided his students needed to understand that there’s more to life than cells, more to movements than Newton’s laws, and started a fundraiser for Smile Train.

Each year since, Brian, soon joined by teachers Mirela Mrkonjic and Jen Sechrist and the student-run LEO Club, has hosted Mercer Smiles, a “Walk for Smiles” walkathon at the school combined with an at-home fundraiser.

So much has changed in the world over the past 14 years. Students’ attention spans have gotten shorter, their interests more niche; Mr. Fontaine’s hair has gotten grayer. But one thing that has remained constant year after year is the passion with which his students connect with this cause.

Going into this year, the Mercer community had raised $380,000 for Smile Train (including matching funds and corporate sponsorships).

When Mr. Fontaine announced that he would retire from teaching after the 2024-2025 school year to serve the community in new ways, his colleagues reassured him that they would carry on Mercer Smiles events each year in his honor. Even still, everyone knew they had to make this year special for him. The biggest, most smile-filled fundraiser yet.

The Gameplan

Mercer Smiles divided the 2025 “Walk for Smiles” into two parts. The first would be the traditional walkathon on the track, complete with stations for tug-of-war, cornhole, volleyball, and an egg walk, open to any student who raised at least $20 for Smile Train.

Following the walkathon, students who raised at least $125 were invited into the auditorium for a special meet-and-greet with John Bates.

That was most students there. “You can tell this is something they are really passionate about because the kids who raised $100 or more got to sit on the front of the stage, and they filled the entire stage,” said Iva Ballou, Smile Train’s Community Development Manager, who was in attendance.

After posing for all the selfies and autographing all the hats, shirts, late passes, Crocs, and, in one case, five disposable cups every student waved at him, John — whose mother is a teacher and father is a principal — took the stage to say how much this event meant to him and to encourage students to chase their ambitions just like he did.

"There might be a lot of people out there that might try to knock down your dreams or say that they’re not real…. And I just want to inspire you guys to not listen to any of the naysayers out there… because when you have a dream and a goal in mind and you face it 110%, you can make that dream happen no matter your circumstance.”

- John Bates

”What Is So Needed in the World Today”

As if there was any doubt the students were at least as inspired by John for his life on the field as off, when Iva stepped to the stage, they greeted her with a roar to match the one they gave him.

As a Smile Train employee, Iva couldn’t help but be moved by this moment. Every day, she hears stories about how many children with clefts like her and John around the world are forced to drop out of school to spare themselves the physical and emotional abuse of their peers and sometimes even their teachers. As adults, continuing stigma often makes it impossible for those with clefts, which affect one in every 700 people, to find meaningful work or a spouse, condemning them to lives of isolation, sickness, and shame. Even growing up in America, Iva was bullied so severely in school that she often went home crying.

But at Mercer, they are taught to have mercy.

“One little girl came up to me and said, ‘Is it okay if I ask if you have a cleft?’” Iva recounted. “I appreciated the way that she asked. That let me know that there has to have been education here surrounding cleft sensitivity. I said yes. Then she asked, ‘Are you with Smile Train?’ and I said yes.

“And she said, ‘Well, thank you for what you do.’ That showed me that kids do understand and they really do connect with our cause. It really was beautiful to see.”

Mr. Fontaine’s powerful farewell address left no doubt where that understanding comes from.

I couldn’t be more proud of who you are and what you’ve done. [It’s] remarkable. It’s beautiful. You have looked beyond yourself. And you are moved to help a child that you will probably never see, or meet, or know. After watching [Mercer Smiles’] lessons, you put yourself in another person’s position and felt the desperation that they would feel. That heart, that compassion is what is so needed in the world today. It is what is so needed in the world for all time.

Students, I hope you feel good about the impact that you have made. What you’ve accomplished is something to be proud of. It is something to celebrate. The feeling that you have, though, doesn’t last forever. To live a happy life is to string together a long series of gifts to others. Continue doing good. Serving. Helping. Reaching out. Accepting those that are not like you. It won’t always be easy, but when you look back at life, you will be fulfilled by the positive impact that you have made.

On Track to Greatness

His message got through loud and clear. The school raised another $15,050 this year, bringing their all-time total to over $400,000, transforming the lives of children all over the world.

Including in Loudoun County.

Iva recalls walking in front of a group of boys on the track, and one of them kept talking about how upset he was that he had raised “only” $500. There was so much more he wished he could have done. So many more kids he wished he could have helped smile. Only later did she learn that he was the school’s top fundraiser.

“The kids today are going to be alright,” she laughed.