The dental community came together for a spectacular event to raise money for a very worthy cause.
Get dentists out of their PPE and they are a glamourous bunch, as was seen at the inaugural Dental Charity Ball, held at the State Theatre of WA in June.
Dr Amanda Phoon Nguyen, who co-organised the event with Dr Sean Archibald and Dr Jenny Ball, says she’d been thinking about running a charity gala ball fundraiser for some time.
“Frankly, it was something that several of my friends and colleagues had asked me to organise over the years, and I thought why not give it a go,” she says.
“It seemed like a perfect blend – supporting charity and fundraising, having fun and also showcasing some of the amazing musical talent we have in the dental industry.”
Amanda says she usually runs one or two fundraising events per year, and this time, the timing coincided with the launch of Uniting Smiles (a charity dedicated to looking after the oral health needs of vulnerable West Australians).
“It’s a charity I am involved in and a big supporter of,” she explains. “While I have previously fundraised for Uniting Smiles, it was a relatively small amount and I felt that we could do more. I approached Jenny and Sean as we work well together, and I knew that they had relevant areas of expertise. It worked perfectly and they were a dream to work with.”
Generous sponsors came on board, including main sponsor SEARCHBOX, and silver sponsors Credabl and Henry Schein Australia, whose support meant the event could be a reality.
The event was open to everyone in the dental community, and 180 attended, including Guest of Honour Libby Mettam MLA (Shadow Minister for Health, Mental Health and Disability Services; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence).
DJ Kesh entertained the crowd, with several dentists on the list of performers for the evening, including Dr Luke Chow and Tiffany Chow from ‘Kestrel N Kites’ (no one has ever made flossing sound so good!), Dr Ali Wallace and the band ‘Dental as Anything’, and Drs Sophia Hawes and Simon Tee. Dr Dean Martin was also on the list to perform, but unfortunately was unable to attend.
Dr Graham and Wendy Carmichael were instrumental in organising the raffle and silent auction prizes, and Amanda says the generosity of prize donators and sponsors was overwhelming.
Dr David Hallett was invited to draw the raffle prize (with a total value of over $2,500), which included a white-gold and diamond necklace from Rohan Jewellers and a Saltair Gracetown two-night getaway.
The silent auction also boasted an impressive range of prizes, including:
Ammon Creative and JustforKiks photobooth captured all the fun. Search the hashtag #dentalcharityball2022 for photos from attendees.
The organisers are planning to run the event next year, so for further details or for news of any future events, go to @dentalcharityballwa and Dental Charity Events in WA, facebook.com/dentalcharityevents
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