April Is Oral Cancer Awareness Month
2025 AGD Foundation Update By Michael Kaner, DMD, JD, MAGD, president, AGD Foundation
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024 was a year of continued change, growth and rapid forward movement for the AGD Foundation. We worked to expand awareness of oral and oropharyngeal cancers and improve access to education and screening. Our accomplishments included: • Development of the AGD Foundation Oral Cancer Toolkit, a free comprehensive resource for patients and providers on our website. • Consistent distribution of a monthly e-newsletter, the “AGDF eBulletin.” • Consistent postings on all of our social media channels, including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. • Expanding awareness of our grant program and funding five grants for 2025 totaling $20,941.
2025 Strategic Goals In 2024, the AGD Foundation board convened to define its strategic goals for 2025 and beyond, including: • Create a sound financial infrastructure through effective fundraising efforts. • Expand the reach of the Foundation through social media and other communications. • Engage larger and more diverse populations. • Continue to develop the Foundation as the trusted charitable arm of AGD.
AGD Foundation 2025 Grant Recipients Colorado AGD Aurora, Colorado Dash for Detection: Oral Cancer Awareness 5K
University of Minnesota Mobile Health Initiative Minneapolis, Minnesota University of Minnesota Mobile Health Initiative Omni Family Health Bakersfield, California Omni Family Health’s Oral Cancer Prevention Program Oregon AGD Tigard, Oregon Oral Cancer Screenings at Oregon AGD IV Sedation Clinic University of South Dakota Foundation Vermillion, South Dakota University of South Dakota Department of Dental Hygiene
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AGD IMPACT
APRIL 2025
Our work to educate dentists and the general public about the importance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination continues to be at the forefront of our efforts. Our oral cancer screening programs at the AGD scientific session and other venues remain a centerpiece of our efforts. We are in the planning stages of the oral cancer screening program that will be held at AGD2025 in Montréal this July. If you are interested in volunteering for this program, we encourage you to contact us directly at admin@agdfoundation.com. We are revamping and updating our annual silent auction. Many of you visited our booth at AGD2024 in Minneapolis. You suggested some items and brands you’d like to see available in future silent auctions — and we listened. In 2025, we are working hard to include new items that appeal to our growing and increasingly diverse constituency. And we are bringing back some old favorites, too. We hope you will visit our booth at AGD2025 and come ready to bid! We will once again be using the online silent auction app, so you can bid from anywhere. Our educational print materials and public service announcements with compelling testimony from oral cancer survivors will be offered at AGD2025 and the House of Delegates annual meeting. If you are interested in receiving materials to distribute in your practice, please contact admin@agdfoundation.com.