Race for the Future Raises $35,000
Plotting a course for a successful dental laboratory industry
For reaching its fundraising goals, the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology was a big winner at the ITU World Triathlon Chicago on June 29.
A group of 18 people from throughout the industry participated in the swimming, biking, and running event and helped raise more than $35,000 as part of the inaugural Race for the Future campaign. The foundation will use this money for either grants for educational programs to invest in new technology or scholarships awarded to individuals who want to achieve CDT designations.
“It is incredible and heartwarming that we raised the amount of money that we did,” said Gary Iocco, President of the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) and Dimension Dental Design, CDL, who completed the sprint triathlon.
The racers included dental technicians; NADL officials; and representatives from Bego, Whip Mix, Nowak Dental Supplies, and Inside Dental Technology. Many of them helped organize the fundraiser.
“It brought people from various parts of the industry together,” said Bennett Napier, CAE, Executive Director of NADL and a race participant. “Our point was to show that when the laboratory industry comes together for a common purpose, we can do things that maybe we didn’t expect we could do. The industry can rally around a common goal and make a difference.”
Knight Dental Group’s President, Barbara Warner Wojdan, CDT, made quite a difference herself by raising more than $6,100.
“It shows the commitment our industry has toward the foundation and its mission to advance the profession through supporting our educational programs,” Wojdan said.
The group already has started discussing organizing a 2015 Race for the Future, likely at a different event in an effort to raise even more money.
“After the race, people were saying, ‘When’s the next one? What are we going to do next year to top this?’” Napier said.
Stay tuned for the next Race for the Future announcement and help the foundation through donations or participation.
“We had a great time, and the byproduct was that we raised a lot of money for a good cause,” Iocco said.Donations for Race for the Future can be made at: https://nadl.org/dltf/donate-online.cfm
