Mankato, Minn. ---  Members of the Minnesota State men's hockey team are volunteering  for teardown and load-out for 3-4 hours Saturday evening at the Minnesota Mission of Mercy event, which is being held at Verizon Wireless Center this weekend.

The Minnesota Dental Association and the Minnesota Dental Foundation are bringing the Minnesota Mission of Mercy to southern Minnesota on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26 to provide free dental care to children and adults who face barriers to accessing dental care.  The Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato was chosen as the site to accommodate the massive dental clinic which will treat as many as 2,000 patients from a wide geographic area.  
 
Free care being provided includes cleanings, fillings, extractions and limited treatment for partial dental appliances.  There is no advance sign up and patients will be seen on a first come, first served basis each day.  The doors open at 5:30 a.m. and early arrival is encouraged.

The free care is being provided by more than 1,000 volunteers, including dentists from Minnesota and surrounding states, as well as hygienists, dental assistants, translators and lay volunteers. The first Minnesota Mission of Mercy was held in Mankato in 2012 and resulted in 2,000 patient visits.
"We are returning to the Mankato area to make a difference in lives of thousands of people and to highlight the large unmet need out there," said Dr. Michael Perpich, a practicing dentist and president of the Minnesota Dental Association. "Clearly, vulnerable people are not receiving the dental treatment they need. Until this problem is solved, the MDA will continue to work with lawmakers on a better solution to improve the broken public system."

Volunteer dentists are prepared to provide care to 2,000 patients.  To learn more about the event, or to volunteer, go to:  mnmom.org



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