by Ronald Paler, D.D.S.
President, Michigan Dental Foundation

Many dentists provide charitable care in their offices to alleviate suffering and to make the world a better place. Many of you have been financial supporters of the Michigan Dental Association Foundation over the years, and for this the Foundation is deeply appreciative. Your help has allowed us to provide a broad range of activities to make dental care available to families unable to afford dental care.

In 2009, your generous support has allowed the Foundation to award $5,000 grants to the Traverse Dental Clinic in Traverse City; the Children’s Tooth Fairy Foundation in Detroit; and the Hope Dental Clinic in Ypsilanti. In addition, the Foundation has:

• partnered with the Old Newsboys/Goodfellows to provide 36,000 holiday toothbrush kits to underprivileged children in Detroit, for a grand total of 156,000 kits in the past few years;
• awarded eight dental scholarships, for a grand total of 90 scholarships since 2000;
• financially supported the MDA’s National Children’s Dental Health Month activities;
• assisted with Give Kids a Smile Day activities;
• donated $4,000 to the MiDOOR adult care day at the University of Detroit Mercy Dental Clinic;
• donated $500 to the Taft Society at the University of Michigan for Give Kids a Smile Day;
• donated $1,000 toward the National Museum of Dentistry’s, “Your Spitting Image” dental education exhibit at the Lansing’s Impression Five museum.

This year the Foundation has also been given the additional responsibility by the MDA to fund, manage, and administer the Relief Fund. We take this responsibility seriously as part of our mission to assist those MDA members in need. And, we continue to support dental, dental hygiene, and dental assisting education through an active and growing scholarship program that is helping to maintain an adequate supply of dental personnel in our state.

The Michigan Dental Association Foundation needs your financial support to allow us to continue to do these activities and much more. Your continued support is crucial in these economic times, as the need is greater this year than before. Together, I know we can make a difference. All contributions received before Dec. 31, 2009 will be reported in a future issue of the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association. Contributions are tax-deductible. Thank you in advance for your support.