Raising Funds to Serve Those Most in Need

by Kirsten Mickelwait

Photos by Tim Cook and Jon Draper

According to the California Dental Association, 500,000 children statewide miss about 874,000 school days each year due to dental problems. On average, 61% of third graders have experienced tooth decay and 22% have untreated tooth decay—and socioeconomically disadvantaged children are at an even higher risk. When left untreated, dental problems can cause infections that interfere with speaking, eating and learning, and may lead to lifelong deficits for children.

To meet this critical need, Dr. Susan A. Bittner ’74A, former president of the Children’s Dental Health Care League and current board member of the Dugoni School Foundation, founded the Kids in the Klinic (KITK) program with a grant from the Hutto Patterson Foundation. During the past 28 years, KITK has grown to serve more than 1,500 children and adolescents annually, offering more than $100,000 worth of free and reduced- cost dental care annually. Many of these young patients—some living with medical problems, birth defects or other debilitating conditions—don’t have any other access to dental care.

“The Kids in the Klinic program is a vital initiative that enables us to extend dental care to all families, irrespective of their economic status or ability to afford treatment,” says Marisol Andrade, manager of the school’s Hutto Patterson Pediatric Dentistry Clinic. “This not only benefits the patients but also enables our students to actively participate in pediatric patient care, allowing them to gain valuable experience that may not otherwise be available to them.”

The volunteer-led program is now supported by the nearly $3.5 million KITK Endowment and an annual budget of just under $160,000. It has been funded by a series of ambitious philanthropic events over the decades. The goal is to increase the KITK Endowment and quadruple its reach from serving 1,500 to 6,000 children annually in the next several years. The last KITK fundraiser was held in 2019 due to the lack of events taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The school now plans to revive the tradition with a spectacular event in the spring.

Spring 2025 KITK Fundraiser

On Saturday, March 1, 2025, the dental school will host a black-tie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”- themed KITK fundraiser at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco. Co-chaired by Dr. Michael Fox ’82 and Brenda Zawatski, a friend of the dental school, the event will include a reception with auction games, followed by dinner and a live auction featuring unique getaways, exclusive wines and one-of-a-kind dining experiences. For those who are unable to attend the fundraiser, a silent auction will also be offered online. Several sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are available for individuals and companies interested in investing in this worthy cause.

The March event will be the latest in a long history of fundraising for KITK. “The dental school wanted to attract more young patients to provide pediatric experiences for its students,” Bittner remembers, “and it was also eager to provide more treatment to underprivileged children in the broader community. We required funds to address these needs.”

Golf & Tennis Classic

In 1999, the event expanded north to the Los Altos Golf and Country Club for a few years before relocating to the larger venue of The Olympic Club in San Francisco in 2002. These KITK fundraising events were chaired by Dr. Susan A. Bittner ’74A and later by Drs. Blaire Bittner ’98 and Doug Yarris ’83.

The2017 KITK Golf & Tennis Classic had an exciting line-up typical of this fundraiser: it included a $5,000 putting challenge, a $1 million hole-in-one shootout and a cocktail hour and silent auction, followed by a dinner, raffle drawing and a live auction. Special guests included former famed Oakland Raiders quarterback.

Jim Plunkett, former KTVU-TV Channel 2 sports director Mark Ibañez, saxophone star Mike Phillips performing with Yoshi’s house band, Golden State Warriors hype man Franco Finn, former Warriors basketball star Adonal Foyle and numerous Warriors and 49ers Dance Team members.

A past president and board member of the Dugoni School Foundation, Dr. Ken Fat was impressed with the San Francisco event and decided to organize a KITK Golf & Tennis Classic in the Sacramento Valley, held at the Sun City Golf Club in Lincoln Hills as well as in Roseville, from 2002 to 2005.

“The San Francisco fundraiser was so successful that we were able to replicate the golf and tennis tournament in the Sacramento area,” Fat says. “The dinner, hole sponsorships and the auction generated so much enthusiasm and financial support for the dental school. The events created a lot of excitement and fun for dentists, auxiliaries, businesses and other important people in the community. When there is a worthwhile cause, it is great to see so many people come together to make it a success.”

In 2001, the Kids in the Klinic Endowment received another boost from an inaugural desert golf tournament held at TPC Canyons (now known as TPC Las Vegas) in November. This fundraiser was chaired by Dr. Gregg Hendrickson ’91 and many local alumni served on the committee. Thirty-four golfers challenged the links in a four-person scramble format followed by an auction and dinner— all to raise funds for KITK.

Vino de Mayo Wine Auction

Another past fundraising success for the KITK Endowment was Vino de Mayo, a wine auction held at luxury San Francisco hotels in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2012. According to former event chair Dr. Michael Fox ’82, the auctions collectively netted about $500,000 over the years. It always featured cocktails, a silent auction, dinner and a spirited live auction featuring renowned wine auctioneer David Reynolds.

“The first auction was held on Cinco de Mayo,” Fox recalls, “and David coined the name Vino de Mayo, since the auction was centered around wine and was always held in early May.” He cites the wide volunteer effort—co-chairs, committees, event planners and others—required to produce such an elegant event.

“I’m about fun, and Vino de Mayo was successful in that it allowed us to raise money and give people an event they enjoyed and looked forward to attending,” he says. “Raising money for kids is gratifying in the way it can change a child’s life.”

Best Dressed Smiles Benefit Fashion Show

From 1997 to 2008, this biennial fashion show was chaired by Bonnie Kwong, a former board member of the Dugoni School Foundation, and Dr. Susan Bittner ’74A. In a common cause to provide dental care to underserved children in the Bay Area, the event’s proceeds benefited the KITK Endowment.

Guests at the fashion show and luncheon, held at the Fairmont San Francisco, always enjoyed a silent auction and cocktails in the Tonga Room, followed by lunch in the Grand Ballroom. The 2005 fundraiser was indicative of the star power this event attracted: TV celebrities Jennifer Massey, a finalist from NBC-TV’s “The Apprentice,” and Dr. Bill Dorfman ’83, the dentist on ABC-TV’s “Extreme Makeover,” teamed up with Hall of Fame 49er football player Roger Craig to stroll down the catwalk. Local television personality Jan Yanehiro emceed the show and former Congresswoman Jackie Speier spoke about her experience as a patient at the Dugoni School of Dentistry when she was a child. Average attendance was 450 guests, and each show raised up to $40,000.

“I was honored to have chaired seven fashion shows,” says Kwong. “The volunteers, supporters and audience members all appreciated KITK’s critical mission to treat and care for as many underserved children as possible, giving these children a winning smile and the confidence to succeed at school and in life.”

“It’s been amazing to see the growth of the Kids in the Klinic Endowment since its founding back in 1996,” says Dean Nader A. Nadershahi ’94. “Through the commitment of time, talent and treasure by our volunteer leaders, participants and donors, this endowment has flourished, helping us serve children in the greatest need of oral health care. It’s exciting to dream about how many more young lives we’ll touch as we continue to grow this endowment.”

“It’s taken a lot of effort,” Dr. Susan Bittner says, “but the results, as seen in the good work that the clinic has done in the past and will continue to do in the future, make it all worthwhile. The clinic’s mission opens people’s hearts, and I’m happy to say they’ve always responded generously to its needs.”

If you’re interested in becoming a corporate sponsor or donating an auction item for the upcoming KITK fundraiser, please contact Bridget Chau, donor relations and event manager, at (415) 929-6432 or bchau@pacific.edu.

Kirsten Mickelwait is a San Francisco-based copywriter, content provider and professional storyteller.