IN FEBRUARY, the College of Dental Medicine at Florida’s Nova Southeastern University will celebrate 12 years of its Give Kids A Smile dental-outreach program, which in 2015 provided upward of $100,000 in services to more than 300 children and special-needs patients. The leaders of the pack: chapter coordinators Kelly Cundy and Adam Saltz, with whom lncisal Edge dental lifestyle magazine’s Brian Dawson recently spoke about Give Kids A Smile and the importance of dental students who recognize the importance of giving back.

“Our GKAS isn’t another day at the office; it’s a 12-hour party. We want all of our participants and volunteers to feel totally immersed in their dental experience. So we creatively seek press coverage, contact and host local celebrities like the Miami Dolphins and their cheerleaders. reach out for donations and sponsorships, and prepare and decorate the event site,” said Saltz.

Cundy shared her thoughts on volunteerism: “Giving back to my community is something my parents instilled in me at a young age. When I fi rst came to Nova. I immediately connected with an older dental student, Keren Castellucci. She took me under her wing and opened my eyes to this amazing program. I fell in love with GKAS and knew I wanted to be an integral part of its success. During my third year, I became the event chair, and it’s been a fabulous ride ever since.”

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