SALISBURY — The Salisbury Missions of Mercy Clinic, a free, two-day adult dental clinic, will return to Salisbury in 2015.
The Salisbury MOM Clinic will be held March 6-7, 2015, at Catawba College’s Abernethy Physical Education Center.
Dr. Jim Dunkin, senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church, said $75,000 will have to be raised in the community over coming months to bring the clinic to Salisbury for a second time.
Dunkin coordinates the event, an outreach program of the N.C. Dental Society, with Salisbury dentist Dr. David Mayberry.
Salisbury’s first MOM clinic was held in late September 2013 at the Catawba gymnasium, and over the two days, it served more than 800 patients and involved more than 800 professional and community volunteers.
Salisbury alone had 31 dentists participating. The Old North State Dental Society, besides making a $20,000 donation to the Salisbury clinic, had 25 of its dentists volunteering over the two days.
Mayberry managed the recruitment of 124 dentists in all and 160 pre-dental students. He also lined up 312 professional volunteers: hygienists, dental assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, EMTs, lab workers and pharmacists, besides working with dental supply companies to acquire needed resources.
In addition to the Old North State grant, last year’s clinic received $25,000 from the Abramowskis of Rockwell Farms and $25,000 from the Robertson Foundation.
In all, $77,000 was contributed.
Dunkin said donations and volunteer reservations already are being accepted for the 2015 clinic. Those interested can go to http://www.ncmom-salisbury.com/ to contribute or sign up to volunteer.
For more information, contact Dunkin at jdunkin@salisburyfirstpres.org.