Stars, Stripes & Smiles 2026
Placeholder
About the Event
🗓️ Saturday, March 21, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
đź“Ť American Spirit Centre/V.F.W. Hall 4357 located at 10590 E Grand River Ave, Brighton, MI 48116
Dress Code: Casual, Business Casual or Red, White & Blue Apparel!
The Stars, Stripes & Smiles Fundraiser is an 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 those in need.
Ticket includes:
- Dancing and music
- Buffet dinner
- Access to various raffles, wine pull and more
Veteran Honor Roll
Sponsors
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. There are also special programs providing free care to special populations such as veterans, seniors, and more.
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 organizations to help low-income veterans receive free dental care.
The Victors for Veterans Program is run by the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. This program provides free, comprehensive care to veterans in a seven-county area. VINA is one of the 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. Elliot Hill, Dr. Howard Hamerink, Dr. Ken Marriott, Dr. Nadia Iqbal, Dr. Anish Gupta, Dr. Matt Matuszak and Dr. Bill Metz.
VINA and Livingston County Veteran Services also collaborate to provide free dental care to qualifying veterans in Livingston County. Veterans registered 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.