On Saturday, Oct. 1, Hudec Dental along with 130 participants raced at Edgewater Park to bring awareness and support to The Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland. This race raised close to $11,000 that will be donated to support:
• Shelters throughout Cleveland serving women, children, and the homeless
• Food pantries and soup kitchens
• Senior citizen programs
• After school programs for inner-city youth
• Emergency social service assistance
Since July, all 18 Hudec Dental offices have been actively raising money for this event. The Smile & Dash race had 11 reputable sponsors who also assisted with promotion and fundraising efforts.
“This race and the preparations reminded me that we can be more than fillers of teeth,” comments Dr. John Hudec, Owner of Hudec Dental, “whatever amount we contributed to the Salvation Army…it is just a small way of helping those who need a boost in life.”
The Salvation Army and Hudec Dental decided to join forces in 2016 because of their similar purpose of “improving the quality of life” in the community. Both organizations strive to make a difference daily.
“As I was watching the smiles on the faces of those running the race, I was reminded of the power of a smile. Have you ever smiled at someone who needed some encouragement? Usually you will see their down-cast face brighten up as the smile is returned. Thank you to Hudec Dental for each and every smile you create,” says Major Lurlene-Kay M. Johnson, Divisional Secretary for Greater Cleveland Area Services.
Hudec Dental has been serving the City of Cleveland for close to 40 years with the sole purpose of serving others. They recently developed a new philosophy in 2016, Relax. Smile. Serve. Their goal is to develop new partnerships with various charities and volunteer as an organization quarterly. The Smile & Dash race with The Salvation Army was just the beginning of their future involvement with charitable organizations in Cleveland.
Major Johnson adds a final note to all participants, “thank you to Hudec Dental and the community for making our first annual Smile & Dash race a huge success. Lives will be changed because you care enough to run a race for those struggling to stand due to the daily challenges they face.”