H eadlines
Philly Faces: Aidan Nadell
P H I LLY FACES
and talking to media outlets, I
was able to accomplish that goal
in a quarter of the time, in only
three months. I was able to hand
in that check before the school
year started. These kids can have
that COVID-safe playground,
and I can still work there.

JESSE BERNSTEIN | JE STAFF
TEENAGERS DON’T typically
spend a lot of time thinking
about their
legacies. Impressions, sure, but legacies
are a decidedly less frequent
topic of thought and discussion.

Aidan Nadell, a 17-year old
senior at Upper Dublin High
School, is one of the exceptions
that prove the rule.

Nadell, stuck at home
like everyone else during the
pandemic, wanted to bring
together the threads of his life into
something positive. So, gathering
up the skills he’d learned through
his extracurricular activity
(Future Business Leaders of
America), his volunteer work
(Philly Friendship Circle) and his
job (Chabad Garden School, in
Fort Washington), Nadell started
the Spread Smiles Movement,
selling apparel and accessories
with prominently displayed smile
designs in order to raise $5,000
for a “coronavirus-conscien-
tious” playground at the Chabad
Garden School over 12 months.

Nadell quickly blew past
that goal, and has other
Philadelphia-area organi-
zations in mind for the
Aidan Nadell
destination of the Spread
Smiles Movement’s next
$5,000. Nadell doesn’t leave
for college until next year, so
there may be other charitable
organizations reaping the
benefits before he goes.

What is the Spread Smiles
Movement? And how does it
connect to the work the to the
fundraising work you’ve done
with Chabad?
I founded the movement to
Name: Heathergate at Oxford Valley
Width: 9.25 in
Depth: 3.62 in
Color: Black plus one
Comment: JE-ROP
Courtesy of Aidan Nadell
How does this work fit in with
what you want to do academi-
cally and professionally?
I’m going to Ursinus College
to study business adminis-
tration and entrepreneurship.

This passion project of mine is
kind of a pioneering project for
me; I want to be able to take
my love for kindness, love for
perspective, love for making
a difference in the places that
shaped me, and be able to
create businesses out of it. The
Spread Smiles Movement —
I’m going to take it as far as
people are willing to support it.

That’s why I had committed to
the next chapter. I don’t want
to just stop at the $5,000 if
there’s potential to make more.

I told you about the Share Food
Program? next $5,000. It is the largest
food bank in the Philadelphia
region. I’m dedicating it to
my guidance counselor, who,
through 25 years of service at
Upper Dublin — I’ve been with
her for seven years, and just like
how Chabad has really shaped
who I am, so has she with the
academic side of things. And
food insecurity is also a very
meaningful and potent cause
right now, there’s a lot more
food insecurity going on. And
they’re tripling their efforts. So
any dollar counts and every
dollar counts.

What’s the most exciting
thing about the Spread Smiles
Movement? It’s amazing that, whether
you know me, whether you
know my movement or not,
you are able to recognize and
appreciate the message, you’re
able to have your day lifted a
little bit. Just to be able to see
that and be able to see that,
to touch and impact of people
that I haven’t even heard of,
I don’t even know — it’s just
wonderful. l
promote positivity, philanthropy
and perspective during today’s
uncertainty. I sell “smiling”
products, such as shirts, masks,
bracelets, stickers — you name
it. The goal was to be able to raise
$5,000 in 12 months to be able to
leave a legacy behind at Chabad
Garden School, and to have a
piece of the playground named
after me, for when I’m in college,
and I’m not no longer working Tell me a little bit more
with the kids there. So thanks to about it.

jbernstein@jewishexponent.com; involvement with social media,
It’s the destination of my 215-832-0740
BUCKS COUNTY’S PREMIER
55+ APARTMENT COMMUNITY
L 1 & 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS
STARTING AT $1,461
*RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. CONTACT OUR LEASING TEAM FOR DETAILS.

HEATHERGATE.COM | 833-203-0703
Woodbourne Rd., Langhorne, PA
Take Exit 3 off Route 295 East
Across from Oxford Valley Mall
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM JEWISH EXPONENT
OCTOBER 1, 2020
11