With the help of a last minute donation, the Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer handed over $21,500 to the Foothill Unity Center’s Pediatric Mobile Dental Clinic held at Santa Anita Park on Tuesday.
Part of a larger Back-to-School event servicing low-income families with the supplies children in grades K-12 need to be ready for school, the dental clinic screening offers many children the opportunity to have their teeth checked for the first time.
“The thought of kids going to school with root canals and not being able to smile or having the self confidence to succeed tugs at our hearts. We feel that we are really giving them a chance,” Schweitzer said.
After the screening at Santa Anita Park, 120 children who were diagnosed with serious dental problems will receive additional pediatric dental procedures during the Mobile Dental Clinic week held at Beardslee Elementary School in Duarte on November 6.
At past screenings, the USC dental students rushed one boy in an ambulance to receive immediate dental care because he was in pain from a root canal. Another boy had to receive 4 root canals.
“We give to the Foothill Unity Center out of love. They are our children, they are our responsibility and we hope that by giving were inspiring more to inspire our footsteps to do the same,” Schweitzer said during the event. “We are not just a law practice in town, we are part of the community.”
The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer specialize in family law and estate planning.
Each year the firm has doubled their contribution—giving $5000 the first year, then $10,000 and this year over $20,000 to the children’s dental clinic provided by USC’s Ostrow School of Dentistry.
The Circle of Friends event hosted on Saturday June 27th at the Pasadena home of Annette and Sheldon Bull raised more than $16,000. Schweitzer gave a special thanks to Julie Lawson and Peter Stiefel as well as David and Miriam Donoho who contributed the final $5000 that pushed the efforts over the $20,000 goal.
Maria Schweitzer said they hoped to still raise more up until the mobile dental clinic in November. She also welcomed Foothill Unity Center’s newest board member.
“Having Greg Vanni on the board is a big win for the Foothill Unity Center. He is well known in the community and is a go getter when it comes to bringing in money and support for non profit organizations,” Maria Schweitzer said.
The Foothill Unity Center provides of food, case management/crisis help, and access to health care resources across eleven San Gabriel Valley cities: Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Monrovia, Bradbury, Duarte, Azusa, Baldwin Park and Irwindale.
“We are deeply grateful for the Schweitzer’s ongoing commitment to making sure our Mobile Dental Clinic continues,” Foothill Unity Center Executive Director Betty McWilliams said. “What Don and Maria have witnessed and shared is no exaggeration of the pediatric dental needs in our community. We thank the firm and their Circle of Friends for their support in relieving us from as much of the financial burden through their fundraising efforts.”
For more information about Foothill Unity, please visit their web site at www.foothillunitycenter.org. For more information about The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer, visit www.pasadenalawoffice.com.