This summer, Alliance will host the eighth annual Nebraska Dental Association (www.nedental.org) Mission of Mercy.

Longtime Alliance dentist Dr. D.N. "Cork" Taylor, retired, will chair what certainly will be a yeoman community effort to offer dental care over a two-day period to, potentially, 1,000 people -- or more.

"Mission of Mercy was launched in Virginia in 2001 to provide dental care to those who do not have the financial means to receive care on a regular basis," he said. "Texas and Kansas quickly followed suit, with Nebraska joining the league in 2005."

The first Nebraska Mission of Mercy was held in North Platte, followed by MOM gatherings in Grand Island in 2006, Norfolk in 2007, Mitchell in 2008, Papillion LaVista in 2009, Lincoln in 2010, and in Grand Island in 2011. Last year's GI event resulted in nearly 1,400 patients treated by volunteer doctors andhygienists who provided over $617,000 worth of service.

The dental services, which will range from standard teeth and gum cleaning to fillings, extractions, and root canals, will be held in the former Food Pride and Alco buildings near Third and Cody on Friday, July 13, and Saturday, July 14. Set up will take place Thursday, July 12 with clean up on Sunday, July 15.

"The dental care services will be provided to patients on a first-come, first-serve basis," he said. "I worked at the Grand Island MOM last year. We worked from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. getting everything set up. At 5:30 p.m., people were already lining up for service that wouldn't begin being offered until 5:30 a.m. the next day. They camped out much like concert and athletic event fans wait for the ticket windows to open."

Why Alliance?

"It seems like western Nebraska seldom gets opportunities to host programs like this," Dr. Taylor says. "At times it feels Alliance is in a different state. After we complained about the Dental Days youth dental service program never coming to western Nebraska, we got it. The same type of thing happened here."

On more a grand scale, Dr. Taylor says he believes Alliance hosting this year's Mission of Mercy will allow the communityto show its true colors.

"We'll need to step to the plate and show our guests some real western hospitality," he said. "Yes, it will help with tourism revenueas our restaurants,motels, and merchants will benefit,but the bottom line is that our Alliance hospitality needs to shine."

Dr. Taylor already has his sub-chairman, including Rich Otto (finance/fundraising), Dr. Dan Hoesing (hospitality), and Terry Grosz (volunteer coordinator). Dr. Taylor is still searching for a facilities chairman.

While not yet etched in stone, Dr. Taylor says the University of Nebraska's annual Dental Days in Alliance will probably take a hiatus in 2012.

For more information on how you can get involved as a volunteer for the Nebraska Dental Association's Mission of Mercy gathering in Alliance, contact Dr. Taylor at 762-6240.