SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – (Aug. 9, 2012) – Mayor Edwin Escobar of Peronia, Guatemala is coming to the U.S. in August where he will be visiting Las Vegas and Scottsdale to increase ties with the U.S. dental industry and share what the Ariz. based Spear, Open Wide Foundation is doing to change a community. Invited by Sirona Dental Systems, a leader in digital dentistry, Mayor Escobar will be a featured speaker at Sirona’s CEREC 27 and a half Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 18 in Las Vegas.
Mayor Escobar will speak about the impact the Open Wide Foundation has had on the people of Peronia, and plans for the future. The Open Wide Foundation, located in Scottsdale, Ariz., is dedicated to bringing quality dental care to impoverished communities around the world.
Since opening the doors to the Peronia Clinic in January 2012, the Open Wide Foundation has enlisted more than 170 volunteer dentists, assistants and individuals from across the U.S. to donate their time and money, and administered care to close to 2000 patients in the first six months of operation. Mayor Escobar has been integral in the development of the Peronia Clinic, partnering with the Foundation, donating the land and the construction. In addition to serving as Mayor, Escobar is a businessman in construction.
“Mayor Escobar has played a key role in our successful launch of the clinic and we are extremely grateful,” said Dr. Glen Wysel, co-founder and board director of the Open Wide Foundation. “The foundation’s partnership with the local government and the greater community has been invaluable.”
The Open Wide Foundation is working to staff the clinic in Guatemala with up to five volunteer dentists and their assistants each week for 40 weeks a year in order to provide dental care to the 85,000 residents that have not had access until now. In addition to patient care, the dental volunteers will help train the Guatemalan staff to ultimately create a sustainable clinic for the community.
After speaking in Las Vegas, Mayor Escobar will be in Scottsdale, Ariz. at Spear Education on Aug. 19-21, where he will meet with the Charity Crawford, executive director of the Open Wide Foundation, and touring the state-of-the-art education facility with Spear Education President, Kaleim Manji.
For more information on the Open Wide Foundation visit www.speareducation.com/openwide or call 866-781-0071.
About Open Wide Foundation
The Open Wide Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was established in 2011 by the leadership of Spear Education, a prominent provider of advanced postgraduate dental education. Utilizing the influence of Spear Education, Open Wide secures support from the dental industry and dental community to establish and man clinics in poverty stricken communities without access to dental care.
