In honor of women’s history month, Austin Oral Surgery hosted its third annual Lucy Hobbs Project, “Nourish, Move, Love,” March 24, at The Norris Center in Austin. Named for Lucy Hobbs Taylor – the first woman to earn a dental degree – the annual event was designed to empower and inspire all women who work in dentistry and related fields. In addition, the one-day event raised nearly $6,000 for Unbound Now Austin, a 501c3 nonprofit that is dedicated to extinguishing human trafficking and igniting hope.
Natalie Jardine inspires women in dentistry during the Annual Lucy Hobbs Project to “love harder, speak more truly, and shine a little brighter.”
“This year’s theme – Nourish, Move, Love – was designed to help women in our industry to incorporate these wellness concepts into both their personal and professional lives. The ideas presented here can help us to build happier, more productive and engaged relationships and inspire us to be the best versions of ourselves,” said Renee Dixon, marketing director of Austin Oral Surgery. “This is beneficial for those of us who participated, and it has long-lasting, positive ripple effects for our practices, patients and communities.”
The event was sponsored by Benco Dental Supply Company. Event highlights included the ability to receive valuable training and earn continuing education credits, as well as dining, networking, shopping, guided meditation, a fashion show and “giveback opportunities.”
“We include special ‘giveback opportunities,’ in every Lucy Hobbs Project to raise funds and awareness for important causes,” said Dixon. “This year, we were supporting Unbound Now Austin, which is a nonprofit that envisions a future where our community is free from human trafficking.”
According to the International Labour Organization, human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, with more than 40 million victims, worldwide.
“The dental community is in a unique position to help, because there are several warning signs of human trafficking that can be found in the mouth, but dental professionals need training to correctly identify them and seek help without putting their patients or themselves in danger,” added Dixon. “During this year’s event, we were able to provide 88 women with this vital training.”
Unbound Now Austin event presenters included Sunitha Konatham, director of training, and Liz Griffin, co-founder and executive director. Additional presenters included Whitney Nelson, founder and CEO of Brilliant People; Dr. Brooke Stubbs, founder of Rooted Femme; Natalie Jardine, life coach and blogger; Tressie Seegers, a licensed therapist and guided meditation facilitator; and Dr. Karla Mehlenbacher, founder of Take Root Brain & Body.
About Austin Oral Surgery
When Doctors James Fricke and Sam Fason established Austin Oral Surgery more than 50 years ago, they had one goal in mind: to put patients first. Austin Oral Surgery continues that legacy of exceptional care today, treating patients with a wide variety of oral/maxillofacial needs from wisdom teeth removal and corrective jaw surgery to dental implants and more.
For more information, visit www.austinoralsurgery.com.
