In the wake of COVID-19, the annual VINA Community Dental Center Michigan State versus Michigan football game tailgate fundraiser is going virtual. And leading the two teams during the virtual event will be Bill Anderson — longtime Michigan fan, local banker, and stadium security coordinator — and George Moses, MSU Class of 1964 alum and publisher of The Marketeer.
The 2020 Tailgate will be a virtual party that begins with a kickoff video on Oct. 8, and ends three weeks later, on Friday, Oct. 30. There will be online bidding and fun activities.
Attendance for the in-person event generally tops 300 at a local venue, and the fans raise money and compete to see who rules Michigan in VINA donations. The Tailgate is a competition to see which fans can raise the most money to help the needy in Livingston County get quality and affordable dental care through VINA.
Last year, MSU surged ahead late in the event with a $10,000 cornhole game win to claim the neutral money and the bragging rights.
This year, because of the pandemic, everything is different: “There’ll be no game and no tailgating, but that doesn’t change the underlying need for the Tailgate,” said VINA Executive Director Jim Gilmore. “First, now more than ever the community needs the services of VINA. We have had to spend over $10,000 to upgrade our safety to CDC, ADA and MIOSHA guidelines for COVID. Second, we are seeing an influx of new patients because of the severe economic conditions. Third, the competition level between Wolverines and Spartans hasn’t waned.”
All proceeds benefit the VINA Community Dental Center.
The VINA Community Dental Center of Livingston County is a non-profit outreach facility founded in 2008 that provides affordable dental care and quality dental education to Livingston County residents with limited finances. VINA improves quality of life through better oral health, promoting dental care seeking behaviors, and elevating prevention awareness. VINA treats over 1,500 patients annually from their facility at 400 E. Grand River in Brighton.
“VINA” stands for Vision, Integrity, Need, and Action.
For questions or further information, contact VINA Executive Director Jim Gilmore at (810) 844-0240 or jgilmore@vinadental.org.
