Media Advisory: UB dental students to lace up and devour chicken wings for Run for Smiles

BUFFALO, N.Y. – UB dental students, along with hundreds of people from the Western New York community, will put their money where their feet are for the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine’s sixth annual Run for Smiles 5k.

The charity race, organized each year by UB dental students, faculty and staff, has raised more than $50,000 to support programs that provide oral health care to underserved populations in Buffalo.

The race will return on Saturday, April 22, to promote cardiovascular and oral health awareness. After the race, runners can enjoy food, refreshments and music, and watch UB dental fraternities face off in a chicken-wing-eating contest.

The race will begin at 10 a.m. at Harriman Hall on the UB South Campus. Post-race activities will conclude at 5 p.m.

Registration is $20 and free shirts will be given to the first 500 people who sign up. Participants can register in person on race day at Harriman Hall.

Media are invited to attend. On-site contact is Edward Morrison, edwardmo@buffalo.edu, 716-955-0393. For a map of the South Campus, visit http://bit.ly/2nhJ2Nr.

Proceeds from the Run for Smiles are donated to UB dental initiatives such as the CARES (Counseling, Advocacy, Referral, Education and Service) and BOCA (Buffalo Outreach Community Assistance) programs, both of which provide access to affordable health care and dental education to those in Buffalo and beyond.

The CARES program, a collaboration between the UB School of Dental Medicine and School of Social Work, strives to increase access to quality oral health care by linking patients with resources that include Medicaid and health centers.

BOCA aims to promote dental education and implement free dental care in areas of the world that lack adequate access to care. BOCA members take part in dental outreach trips both abroad and in communities across the U.S.