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Despite Pandemic, Gold For Food Program Again A Success

January 12, 2021

By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com

A program initially launched by a local oral surgeon has managed to raise nearly $50,000 for Gleaners Community Food Bank of Livingston County.

Officials say the Gold for Food Program was a huge success this past year. Several local dentists and many generous local dental patients participated in the program last year that was initiated by Dr. Fredric L. Bonine back in 1996.

Patients are asked if they would like to donate any extracted teeth that contain precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum or palladium. The teeth are collected by participating dentists over a year and then sent to Atlantic Precious Metals, a refinery located in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania. The proceeds are then donated to Gleaners Food Bank of Livingston County. This year, the total amount collected in dental metal was $24,703.61. That amount was then said to be generously matched by Kroger's for a total donation of $49,407.22.

Officials say a donation of that size makes a large impact on the families in the local community that need a little help with putting food on the table. Since the inception of the Gold for Food Program, a total of $409,155.80 has been donated to benefit the hungry of Livingston County. Officials ask that anyone anticipating dental extractions in the coming future inquire with their dentist about the Gold for Food Program.

Local dentists in the area that participated in the Gold for Food Program included: Dr. Brad Rondeau, Dr. Virginia Eick, Dr. Matthew Matuszak, Dr. Walter Goodell, Dr. Tara Wilson, Dr. Todd Charlick, Dr. Melissa Shalhoub, Dr. Michelle Andrusyszyn, Dr. Christina Scanlon, Dr. Bill Metz, Dr. Jonathan Birchmeier, Dr. John G. Keeton, Dr. Gwynne Attarian, and Dr. Fredric L. Bonine.