A night of fun and celebration
Nearly 280 people were in attendance, with dentists from the “west side” joining their eastern Washington colleagues at the Davenport Grand Hotel for a night of food, dancing, socializing, and fundraising. With both live and silent auctions, a show by Spokane Aerial Performing Arts, and live music by the Cronkites, the gala had something for everyone. Local wineries poured their juice, and attendees bid on desserts for their tables. “We focus on making it a really fun night celebrating our many programs and those who support the SDDS Foundation,” said Wendy Johnson, Executive Director of the Spokane District Dental Society.
WSDAF’s new mission at work
As part of its new mission, the WSDA Foundation will fund foundations and their programs, as well as other efforts focused on delivering oral health to Washingtonians across the state. The WSDA Foundation, formally called the Washington Oral Health Foundation, was completely restructured last year at the behest of WSDA members who envisioned it as something with a greater reach and impact than before. Dr. Chris Dorow, a WSDA Foundation director, said, “It’s a dramatic change, but I think the future of the Foundation is brighter than it has ever been. I think it’s going to be easy for people to support and be proud of. Now we’ll we have a foundation that’s easy to understand and explain.”
Photos, opposite page, clockwise from top left: Julie Humphreys and Xavier Zielenski, Dr. Rob Heinrich and Kim Heinrich, Dr. Emerson Godbolt and Aubrie Ler, Katie Huckabee and Brent Huckabee and friend; Photos this page top: Dr. Amy Winston, Dr. Mark Paxton, Dr. Ashley Ulmer; bottom left: Andrew Roehrig, Alexa Ellingsen, Patricia Ellingsen and Dr. Ron Ellingsen; bottom right, Mr. Jason Little, Dr. Christine Kirchner, Dr. Tim Hess.
th e wsda ne w s · issue 5, april · 2017 · www.wsda.org · 27
member news spokane district dental society foundation gala
The seventh annual Spokane District Dental Society Foundation Gala was a rousing success, raising $103,000. Proceeds from the February 10 event will be used by the SDDS Foundation to expand Spokane’s residency program and more. Of that amount, more than $47,000 was contributed by the Washington State Dental Association Foundation in matching funds during the popular “Raise a Paddle” portion of the auction. WSDA Executive Director Bracken Killpack was delighted with the fundraising results, especially given how the money will be used. “This is exactly the kind of effort the WSDA Foundation wants to fund across the state because it helps tackle the access to care issue, while working to produce the next generation of top-notch dentists,” he said. It’s a win-win.”