Crowds Gather for Free Mission of Mercy Dental Clinic in Kansas
People started to gather outside the Salina Bicentennial Center as early as Wednesday afternoon in preparation for the Mission of Mercy dental clinics, which kicks off today, the 13th February.
The clinic will open its doors to the public early on Friday morning with appointments available throughout the day on Friday and Saturday. More than 100 dentists, 50 hygienists and 250 dental assistants will be giving up their time to help out and treat as many people as possible.
People have been camping out in freezing temperatures for 48 hours in order to guarantee an appointment and many have travelled a long way to take advantage of the clinic. Tonya Ball, from Herington, said that she was happy to camp out, as she’d rather get there and wait than drive during the night, while Raul Rios, said that he would be happy to wait for as long as it takes and considers the clinic a blessing.
Registration will begin at 4.30am and appointments are to be allocated on a first come, first served basis and organisers hope to treat more than a thousand people throughout the weekend.
Since the Mission of Mercy was established in February 2003, volunteers have helped to provide more than $12 million worth of dental care, helping more than 24,000 people to access free dental treatment.
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