“Better Teeth for Tijuana” hypnotist show takes place Feb. 24, raising funds for humanitarian trip

The USU Dental Club is hosting a "Better Teeth for Tijuana" charity event tonight at 7:00 p.m. to raise funds for an upcoming humanitarian trip. The event takes place on campus, in the auditorium of the Business Building (room 215). Tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for children. 

February is National Dental Health Month, and Utah State University’s Dental Club will host a family-friendly “Better Teeth for Tijuana” charity event this evening at 7:00 p.m. to help the club raise funds for its annual humanitarian trip. During their April 2017 spring break, members of the club will travel to Tijuana, Mexico to provide dental services in area orphanages and community clinics. The excursion is being coordinated in partnership with the <a href=”http://charityanywhere.org/”>Charity Anywhere Foundation</a>, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Bountiful, Utah. This year marks the group’s fourth trip to Tijuana.

“I went last year, and I had such a good experience,” said Nathan Millerberg, vice president of the USU Dental Club. “I felt like it was a good idea and I wanted to head the project this year for the club.”

Tonight’s “Better Teeth for Tijuana” fundraiser will take place on the USU campus, in the auditorium of the Business Building (room 215). The evening’s entertainment will be provided pro bono by <a href=”http://blakehypnosis.com/”>Blake Powers</a>, a Salt Lake City-based hypnotist who is personally involved with Charity Anywhere.  

“He came last year, and he was a huge hit,” said Millerberg, who will graduate from USU in December. “We had a great turnout and we’re hoping for the same outcome this year!”

The USU Dental Club’s goal for the “Better Teeth for Tijuana” fundraiser is to fill the Business Building’s auditorium to its capacity of 300-400 guests.  All of the evening’s proceeds will be applied toward the Tijuana trip and the provisions participating students will take with them.

“We’re trying to get a lot more supplies so we can go to orphanages and teach little kids how to have better oral health and that kind of thing,” Millerberg said. “That’s what it’s specifically for.”

<a href=”http://hoopesdental.com/”>Dr. Gary Hoopes</a>, whose practice is located in Ogden, is the dentist with whom the USU students will travel in April. While Dr. Hoopes contributes substantially to the project, club members have also visited Cache Valley dentists asking for additional donations. Last semester, they were provided with a “huge supply” of toothbrushes, toothpaste and prophy paste (used by dentists to clean teeth), but more supplies are needed.

“Last year,” said Millerberg, “we set up a clinic with one of the local dentists in Tijuana, and once the word got out that we were down there—I think it was by Tuesday or Wednesday—we had hundreds of people waiting at the door for some help or a cleaning or a cavity filling or a tooth extraction or whatever it was. It’s pretty eye opening to see the need down there, and so this event really does go for a good cause.”

Discounted tickets ($7/adults and $3/children) for the “Better Teeth for Tijuana” charity event will be available today between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at a USU Dental Club booth located in the Taggart Student Center, near the bookstore.  Tickets will be available at the door this evening for $9/adults and $6/children. The USU Dental Club would like to thank Lee’s Marketplace for donating the refreshments being served during the show’s intermission. 

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