In the early days of the Grotto, members would hang a red railroad lantern in the window to indicate the location of their next meeting. This history of the lantern was not forgotten when, in 1953, the Grottoes adopted the “Enchanted Lantern” as their emblem to represent each contribution of $50 or more.
The annual sale of Enchanted Lanterns to Grotto members has become the backbone of the Humanitarian Foundation’s fund raising efforts for nearly 60 years.
The Smile Challenge encourages Grottoes to increase their purchase of Enchanted Lanterns to the next level and develop at least 50% participation by half of the 144 Grottoes and 100% participation by the remaining 72 Grottoes.