The Washington County Riverboat Foundation awarded a surprise grant at a special meeting held Thursday aiming to improve dental health in the area. 

The $10,000 grant was awarded to Iowa Mission of Mercy for a free dental clinic to be held September 19th and 20th in Coralville. 

Riverboat Foundation board President Jim Hauth shared more on what the grant funds will be used for, “This meeting today was set up because the special grant committee met last week. They discussed a couple of different grants that were proposed. That committee recommended unanimously to go ahead and grant the Iowa Mission of Mercy, which is the free dental screening clinic that will be held in mid-September, September 19 and 20th. This is open to anybody, at no charge, and they anticipate seeing in the vicinity of 1,000 to 1,200 patients in that time frame.” 

The clinic will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Coralville and is open to anyone with no insurance required for services including fillings, cleanings, extractions, and more. Services will be provided by licensed dentists and staff. In addition, free childcare is available on-site. Doors open at 6 a.m. 

The competitive fall grant cycle ends on September 15th, with the grants awarded on November 19th at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort.