Justin Long Would Like to Buy a Smile

TV and film star Justin Long’s brilliant performance on the latest round of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune did so much more than bring smiles to audiences across America. By donating his prize of $67,500 to Smile Train, he also brought smiles to kids in need all around the world.

Justin and Kate Bosworth, his wife, have been dedicated Smile Train Celebrity Ambassadors since spring 2024, when they paid a visit to Smile Train patients and partners in Mexico City then co-chaired our star-studded 25th Anniversary Gala in Midtown Manhattan just a week later. The experience was life-changing for both.

Of all the guest appearances he’s made over his career, Justin was particularly pumped for this one. Yes, he was really (really, really) excited to spin the Big Wheel. But he was even more excited to share what most inspired him about Smile Train with a national audience.

As he explained to Pat Sajak and three million other Americans, "It's a real sustainable model. They go into wherever country it is and they provide resources to the medical personnel there, and it allows kids, over the course of many surgeries, to smile. It’s an expression of joy that I've always taken for granted, and to get to see kids that are unable to do that to be able to do that is pretty cool."

That model is how we’ve supported more than 2 million cleft surgeries since 1999 — more than every other charity combined.

Thank you, Justin, for using this opportunity to raise awareness about Smile Train and the lifesaving importance of cleft care. A vowel might cost $250, but giving a child a smile is priceless.