On behalf of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), Vietnamese Consul General to Sydney Vu Hong Nam presented the award to Andrew Keating at a ceremony in the New South Wales Parliament House on November 25.

Since he became the Operational Smile Ambassador in 2004, Keating has raised over 240,000 AUD, bringing smiles to more than 2,400 Vietnamese children suffering from harelip and cleft palate.

He has also brought gifts from Australian students to poor and disadvantaged pupils in Vietnam.

At the award ceremony, the New South Wales Parliament representative, Matt Brown, praised Keating’s tireless efforts to bring “perfect smiles” to Vietnamese children and affirmed that his charitable activities have helped strengthen the friendship between the two countries.

For his part, Keating said he will continue devoting himself to charitable activities in Vietnam.