Affordable Dental Care (ADC) wil hold its fourth annual Smileathon in partnership with the Madison Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 14. People are either biking, walking, running, or swimming a 5k, 10k, or full marathon. The Smileathon is ADC’s largest fundraiser of the year, and its staff is looking forward to running and celebrating with the community while increasing access to dental care in Madison. The history of the Smileathon starts with someone on a run who passed their sign and noticed the clinic there.
“Our chairman, Jason Krause, was running through our block four years ago, and saw our logo and that we were a dental clinic,” said Areli Estrada, executive director of ADC. “He ended up connecting with the previous administrator here. And that’s how the idea evolved. Jason came and talked to our former administrator; he wasn’t the chairman then. He told them he runs through our clinic, and she noticed that runners ran through our block, too.”
The Smileathon has expanded over the last four years. Estrada talked about being excited to see community leaders coming together and supporting the work of ADC. This year, for the first time, the Smileathon will be sponsored by Madison College. ADC is also partnering with the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation (PFFWCF). She is happy to see community organizations championing their cause and supporting what they’re doing.
“Now it’s our fourth annual,” said Estrada. “Supporters of our clinic come together, and they raise funds. And it’s more for general operating support, to run our clinic to keep the lights on. And every year, we set a goal. This year, our goal is to raise $50,000. And again, it’s to support the day-to-day operations of running our clinic. Last year, we raised $37,000. And it was virtual.”
ADC’s mission is to restore hope, health, and opportunity through quality dentistry to the uninsured and at-risk population in a nonprofit partner-powered model. They treat any individual who has put off dental care due to financial, physical, or educational hardship. Estrada is looking forward to seeing the community running smiles for miles.
“It’s super fun,” said Estrada. “We’re calling it Miles for Smiles. Our messaging behind that, Miles for Smiles, is to create more awareness in our community and address those disparities. About how it is so difficult to access dental care, especially in communities of color. And one in three people do not have access to dental care. That’s our vision. To really create more awareness about that and at the same time, a response.”
The dentists, administrators and staff at Affordable Dental Care, and the sponsors who continue to support their work, committed to ending the crisis in access to dental care, one (s)mile at a time.
To donate to Affordable Dental Care, click here.
