About the Event
Saturday, March 29, 2025 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the American Spirit Centre
Dress Code: Casual, Business Casual or Red, White & Blue Apparel!
The Stars, Stripes & Smiles Fundraiser is an uplifting event dedicated to supporting VINA Community Dental Center, a nonprofit committed to enhancing oral health and overall well-being by providing low-cost dental care to low-income, uninsured individuals, with a special emphasis on improving the lives of veterans through two impactful programs offering free dental care for these men and women in need.
Ticket includes:
- Dancing and music
- Buffet dinner
- chicken marsala, roasted pork loin w/gravy, & baked white fish
rice pilaf, garlic mashed redskin potatoes
green beans almandine, honey glazed carrots
- chicken marsala, roasted pork loin w/gravy, & baked white fish
- Access to various raffles, wine pull and more
- FREE entry into a door prize raffle for all attendees
- Prize: $300 Gift Card to Single Barrel Social
Veteran Honor Roll
Midshipman Alexandra Alessio, US Naval Academy
Ray Armbruster Jr., USAF
Ralph R. Barber, Navy
TEC/5 Theodore F. Braun, Army
Robert S. Cartwright, Army
Terry Clark, USAF
Staff Sgt. Sherel “Red” Doane, Army
Steve Guard, Army
Mick Jorgens, Army
Philip McCallister, Army
ABF3 Dave Ouellette, Navy
PFC Leon S. Paler, Army
Lt. Col. H.R. Petersburg, USAF
Lt. Regina Ridley, US Army Nurse
Bob Schaffer, National Guard
Sgt. Ralph Schalk, Army
Sgt. Connor Smith, Army
George C. Steeh, Navy
Sgt. Michael Taylor, Marine Corps
Roger Thompson, National Guard
Don Urban, Marines
Bob Warren, Air Force
Al Wunderlick, National Guard
All veterans supporting Great Harvest Bread Co.
Sponsors
Dr. Matt Matuszak & Associates, DDS, PC
Benco Dental - Threasa Liddell
Cindy & Wes Armbruster
Drs. Donald & Sandra LaTurno
Sue & Scott Ward
Shauna N. Murphy
Ida Bergsma
Mary Rose Cartwright
Mary Clark
Dr. Deb de Laski-Smith & Gene Smith
Tom Doane
Linda & Warren Garr
Dean & Cheryl Guard
Samantha Jorgens
Deirdre Lowry
Dr. Ronald Paler
Dr. Brian & Jean Petersburg
Pauline Schaffer
Bob & Diane Steeh
William & Georgiana Vailliencourt
In-Kind Sponsors:
Cindy Armbruster
Ida Bergsma
About VINA
VINA is a nonprofit dental clinic serving low-income, uninsured adults in Livingston County.
Dental appointments only cost patients $25 and cleanings are $10 thanks to the generous support of grantors, donors and event attendees.
VINA patients are often older adults on fixed incomes, young adults aging out of insurance, part-time employees, small business employees, people who've recently lost insurance (divorce, loss of a job, etc.) and anyone else who fits the qualifications!
Recently, VINA patients shared what VINA means to them:
"Your zeal for those of us less fortunate than others has granted to each patient optimism and comfort by way of your example of selflessness. You are walking and working people of grace.
When my wife and I first came to VINA, we did not know what to expect. Our teeth and oral hygiene were at great risk and our comfort level was uncertain.
It was YOU who put a new perspective on everything for our oral health. It was YOU who comforted us...no matter what chair or which doctor or student was making us "whole" again. It was YOU, who with smiling faces welcomed us at each visit, as if "we were coming home" again."
VINA collaborates with local organization to help low-income veterans receive free dental care.
The Victors for Veterans Program is run by Dr. Howard Hamerink through the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. This program provides free, comprehensive care to veterans in a seven-county area. VINA is one of multiple host sites throughout the state and has nearly 20 clinic dates annually for this program. Dental students provide the care for these patients under the supervision of local volunteer dentists, including Dr. Howard Hamerink, Dr. Ken Marriott, Dr. Matt Matuszak, Dr. Bill Metz, and Dr. Nadia Iqbal.
VINA and Livingston County Veteran Services also work together to provide free dental care to qualifying veterans in Livingston County. Veterans registered both with VINA and LCVS can have their appointment fees covered by LCVS. This helps connect Livingston County veterans in need with more resources that are available to them.