Get bright smile for a cause

A group of Spokane dentists and two privately run social service organizations have devised a way to turn the unenviable task of fund-raising into an all-smiles project.

Chris Chaffin, a North Side dentist, is offering teeth-whitening treatments for $99 between March 1 and June 30. Half the money will go to the Smiles for Life Foundation, and half to the Merry Glen Home and School, 2917 N. Cincinnati St.

In a similar long-running program, the Spokane Guilds’ School is in the midst of its teeth-whitening “Smiles Fund-raiser,” which also costs $99. Patients’ money goes toward the Spokane Guilds’ School Foundation. The seventh-annual drive ends March 31.

The Guilds’ School, founded in 1960, provides early intervention services for more than 200 children, ages birth to 3, in Spokane County with developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and spina bifida. The program is open to all families, regardless of their financial status.

Local dentists participating in the school fund-raiser are Katherine Hakes, James Hoppe, Craig House, Greg Longmire, Jeffrey Marshall, James Manger, Ann-Marie Monson, Jack Fossella, Dave Petersen, Ed Safer, and Cynthia Thiele. Dental suppliers and labs are donating the materials.

Patients who use the dentists’ services pay the Spokane Guilds’ School Foundation directly.

Merry Glen Home and School was established in 1961 by parents seeking an alternative to institutionalization for their children. Their home, tucked away in a residential neighborhood, is 31 years old and is in need of a remodeled kitchen and bathrooms. Merry Glen can accommodate up to 20 residents, all of whom receive personal care on a 24-hour basis.

“Smiles for Life gives people the opportunity to participate in a good cause as well as get something they want,” said Debbie Smith, board member and mother of a Merry Glen resident.

Chaffin will donate the other 50 percent of the fee to national children’s charities through the Smiles for Life Foundation. The Spokane dentist is a member of the Crown Council, a 700-member dental organization committed to promoting oral health, fighting oral cancer and serving their communities through charitable work. Patients who use Chaffin’s services pay the Smiles for Life Foundation directly.

William Dorfman, a dentist most known for his affiliation with the TV show “Extreme Makeover,” will donate the whitening materials.

Tracy Assmus, office manager for Chaffin, said there is no patient limit, even if it amounts to working extra hours.

“We’re helping a good cause,” Assmus said. “We’ve seen how smiles can change people’s lives.”