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Project to make 1,000 Leander folks smile

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Event still needs 550 volunteers

Leander, Cedar Park and western Williamson County will soon have a lot more to smile about.

With the help of Leander, Leander ISD, and the Texas Dental Association Smiles Foundation, a group of dentists from all over the state will give free dental surgery to over 1,000 qualified people next month, through the Texas Mission of Mercy project.

Candidates for dental work will be screened this Saturday, Aug. 23, at Pat Bryson Hall (City Council chambers) in Leander. The dental procedures will be performed on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26 and 27, at the LEO Center and Rouse High School in Leander.

To keep dentists from being idle while waiting on patients, volunteers will first X-ray, triage and fill out paperwork at Pat Bryson Hall; patients will then be bused to Rouse and the LEO Center to receive dental work. All necessary equipment, including 30 dental chairs, will be waiting at each location.

So far, 80 dentists have agreed to donate their time and skills to the project. Over 700 local volunteers are needed to make the event a success - at least 550 more volunteers than have signed up so far.

“We need volunteers to do everything from lifting dental chairs, to educating patients about dental care, to parking lot attendants,” said Leander Mayor John Cowman, who is volunteering for his third annual Texas Mission of Mercy event. “I was a parking lot attendant at the Texas Mission of Mercy event at the Dell Diamond last year and I was proud to be there,” said Cowman. “Last year, there were 88 people from Leander. I thought, ‘what if we had it at Leander? How many would we get?'”

Cowman said between 950 and 1,100 patients from Leander, Williamson County and the surrounding area are expected to seek free dental work. Cowman planned to ask for funds from the city of Leander at the Aug. 28 council meeting.

“We have the space, and the district wanted to step up and provide a place for this event,” said LISD spokesperson Jennifer Williams. “It seemed like a great thing to do for our community and our students.”

Those wanting information about how to receive dental work, or to sign up as a volunteer, should visit http://www.tdasmiles.org/leander.

E-mail charles@hillcountrynews.com

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