Generosity on ‘Giving Blueday’ Yields Record Support for SoD2 min read

Ann Arbor, Mich., Nov. 30, 2017 – In just 24 hours, the School of Dentistry received a record level of support during the University of Michigan’s Giving Blueday, held this past Tuesday as a way to provide a way for alumni and friends to show support for student programs, scholarships and other needs.

The results included more than $39,000 in gifts to the School of Dentistry – almost double last year’s effort – from more than 80 individuals. Now in its fourth year, Giving Blueday coincides with Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving following Thanksgiving weekend.

Included in these results was the fund-raising challenge from Drs. Bill and Therese Shortt to match the first $5,000 given to the Drs. Donald Heys and Ronald Heys Dental Scholarship Fund. The Shortts, dentists in South Lyon, Mich., are School of Dentistry alums and Therese Shortt is an adjunct clinical assistant professor.

“We would like to thank all our donors for their generosity on Giving Blueday and especially the support of the Shortts for their challenge gift,” said Dr. Laurie McCauley, dean of the School of Dentistry. “The results of Giving Blueday are another example of the strong and committed group of alumni and friends we have at the School of Dentistry.”

In addition to the Heys Scholarship Fund, other top school funds on Giving Blueday included the Lee Jones Endowment for Dentistry Diversity Programs which received more than $13,000 in gifts. Programs in this area are designed to increase dental school admissions of prospective students from diverse backgrounds.

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The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the school to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit us on the Web at:www.dent.umich.edu.

Contact: Lynn Monson, associate director of communications, at dentistry.communications@umich.edu, or (734) 615-1971.