New Year--new opportunities.

By now I am sure you are all aware of my desire to promote volunteerism among members of the dental assisting community. As we begin a new year, I am delighted to have the opportunity to actually take part in a dental mission with the U.S. Army. Because of the cancellation of a People to People Ambassador trip to Russia in February, I was available to accept the Army's offer to accompany them on a dental mission to Honduras in February/March 2005. Army dentists and dental assistants make this trip yearly to service the dental needs of the children of Honduras. It is an honor to participate in such a worthwhile venture, and I will report my experiences in detail in a future Journal.

It gives me pleasure to announce that a last-minute effort between the ADAA and the Army brought joy to many wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., this past December. An idea initiated by MSG Anita McCoy and aided by past president Cindy Bradley, ADAA Army liaison, brought 200 teddy bears to the wounded at Walter Reed over the holiday season. When Cindy heard what MSG McCoy was doing on her own, she immediately appealed to the ADAA Board of Trustees and the ADAA Foundation and solicited donations to fund this project. It was such a success that we hope to continue it throughout the year. You can read more on this project in this issue and find out how you can participate.

A phrase we seem to hear a great deal about these days, is "Access to Care." We often think of this as being the problem of people in foreign countries, when actually it is a concern right here in the United States. In order to initiate action in this area, ADAA will arrange a luncheon meeting underwritten in part by a grant from Sunstar Butler at our coming Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. We will focus on the "Access to Care" issue and how it ties into volunteerism. We will present guest speakers who will give us their personal accounts of various volunteer efforts that address this issue in the United States and foreign countries. Space will be limited, so if you are interested in attending be sure to register early. (Registration material is included in this issue.)

Dental Assistants Recognition Week (DARW) is right around the corner, March 6-12, 2005. Many state and local organizations will be participating in a variety of activities during this week promoting and showcasing the dental assisting profession. Whether or not you are part of the DARW competition outlined in the N/D '04 issue, I hope you will take this opportunity to discuss with your patients all that is involved with dental assisting, thus educating them on our multifaceted profession. Our contributions to dentistry are vast and need to be noted. I am very proud to be a part of this profession and hope that you will join with me and celebrate our many accomplishments during DARW.

(Editor's Note: If you would like a kit of materials and ideas for observing DARW, please e-mail [e-mail] or fax your

Kristy S. Borquez, CDA, RDAEF, FADAA ADAA President 2004-2005