Surfing 4 Smiles

Surfing 4 Smiles and services

On Sunday, September 11, 2011 Susan Knight stepped on her board and wake surfed from Vernon to Penticton for a worthy cause…the 30K Club!

Susan started at Vernon Paddlewheel Park and ended 10 hours later in Penticton In front of the Hooded Merganser-a distance of 135KM!!!

TOTAL UPDATE: WE DID IT! OUR GOAL HAS BEEN REACHED!

The Dental Clinic at Kelowna’s Gospel Mission (KGM) is excited to announce due to a $4000 grant from the Interior Savings Community Investment fund they have purchased and installed a Digital X-Ray Unit.

The new x-ray machine will be used to streamline services at the busy Dental Clinic.

“Having this equipment in our clinic will increase the efficiency of our services as we now are able to quickly take, receive and assess our patient’s dental x-ray. The results are instantaneous allowing us to see more patients, therefore help more of those who are in need.”

~ Shirley Goebel, Director Dental Services, Kelowna Gospel Mission

The Dental Clinic has about 1400 patient visits a year and currently has a 6 month waiting list for new patients.

The Okanagan representative for Patterson Dental Equipment was able to secure a 40% discount on the Digital X-Ray unit for KGM who then was able to raise just under half the remaining amount, $3,700, during a fundraising campaign in September 2011 called Surfing 4 Smiles where local celebrity Susan Knight wake surfed 135 KM, from Vernon to Penticton.

It was because of that campaign Interior Savings first became aware of the need for the x-ray machine at KGM’s Dental Clinic.

“Interior Savings supports programs that help people return to health but also those that help prevent future illness,” said Gene Creelman, VP of Marketing and Communications at Interior Savings. “This new digital x-ray machine will result in time and cost savings, allowing the Gospel Mission’s Dental Clinic to provide more patients with basic dental care.”

In addition to streamlining our services the x-ray unit will be an overall cost savings to KGM as we would not need to purchase the necessary supplies to develop the x-rays and then later recycle them.

BACKGROUND

Why 30K Club?

As one of the original founding members of 30K Club and a long standing supporter of our work Susan will be raising money for the Dental Clinic at Kelowna’s Gospel Mission which serves low income families and seniors, those on assistance as well as the homeless and working poor free of charge.

‘Everyone knows how much it stinks to have a toothache and just how much pain can be involved, the kind of pain that just gets worse and worse. Imagine if your only option was to pull that tooth out, yourself. On the street. Alone and in pain. I break into a cold sweat just thinking about it.

I will surf 137K from Vernon to Penticton to raise $10,000 to support the dental clinic and services offer to the Okanagan by the Gospel Missions 30K Club!

It’s a big goal. I can’t do it without your support.

Ever wonder if you can make a direct difference in someone’s life? Well, you can and you can right now.

Everyone makes better choices and clearer decisions when not in pain. You can make sure someone’s pain is taken away.’

~ Susan Knight – 99.9 SunFM

The Goal:

$10,000 – that’s only 100 people donating a $100! Get your friends or our office to participate and become one of the Wonderful 100!

The money raised will allow the Dental Clinic to purchase a Schick CDR Sensor Digital X-ray which will increase the efficiency of our clinic. Our Dental Clinic is currently booked through to the end of 2011, this technology would allow us to see more patients…helping more of those who are in need.

About the Dental Clinic:

Our Dental Clinic provides necessary dental care to individuals who are experiencing dental pain or infection, and who cannot afford treatment in a private clinic. That’s right, its free.

The Clinic serves low income families and seniors, those on assistance as well as the homeless and working poor.

In 2008, we established a partnership with the University of British Columbia Dental Residential Program. These are not student dentists, but fully graduated and licensed dentists who apply to UBC for this program, which gives them experience with a wider range of patients and communities. Kelowna was chosen as one of these communities, and we now are able to offer restorative dental service 5 days a week to people who cannot afford regular dental care.

In 2010 our Dental Clinic Provided:
More than $270,000 worth of free dental service
1,400 patient visits
2,332 volunteer hours from 30 Dentists, 20 Certified Dental Assistants and 3 Registered Dental Hygienists

What is Wake Surfing?

Wikipedia Says:

Wake surfing is a water sport in which a surfer trails behind an inboard ski boat, surfing the boat’swake without being directly attached to the boat. The wake from the boat mimics the look and feel of an actual ocean wave. After getting up on the wave by use of a tow rope, wakesurfers drop the rope and ride the steep face below the wave’s peak in a fashion reminiscent of ocean surfing. Wakesurfers generally use special boards, usually five feet or shorter.

30K Club:

Launched in 2008 to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Kelowna’s Gospel Mission, the 30K Club is a unique opportunity to make positive, long term change for people less fortunate in our city. Our goal is to see the people of Kelowna contribute $30 per month – just $1 per day – toward recovery, transitional and affordable housing solutions. In addition to housing, those individuals choosing to change their lives for good can access counselling, support, life skills training, education, and friendship through services provided by 30K.

There are a number of community partner organizations 30K works with throughout the valley to ensure everyone gets the help they need:

Access to Employment MacDonald Realty
ACTS Rapid Response Emergency Mental Health Metis Society
AIMHSS Ministry of Social Development
Dr. Kasper – Dentures in Winfield District of West Kelowna O.A.R.S.
Elizabeth Fry Society Parole Office
Global Transition Consulting Pregnancy Care Centre
John Howard Society Salvation Army
Labour Ready Southern Interior Construction/Employment
Legal Aide Teen Challenge
Victory Life Brain Trust
Okanagan Boys& Girls Clubs Karis Support Society

SPECIAL THANKS TO RAYBURNS MARINE WORLD FOR MAKING THIS ALL POSSIBLE!