8th Annual Cinderfella Auction & Pageant raises record $20,000
Published: April 21, 2022 by Alexandria Brown
The Texas Association of Women Dentists (TAWD) Chapter at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry raised a record $20,000 for the Mina Rosenthal-Eames Fund during the 8th Annual Cinderfella Silent Auction and Pageant. The circus-themed event was held in person on April 14 in the Denton A. Cooley, MD, and Ralph C. Cooley, DDS, University Life Center.
“I’m so grateful that we were able to host this event,” said TAWD President and fourth-year dental student Rebecca Trevino. “The last time we held the big event was when I was a first-year [dental student]. It’s really great to be able to do this again one month before graduation and provide a record-breaking amount of money to the fund. It was great, and I’m glad that so many people got to experience it.”
With more than 80 items up for auction, including luxury items and experiences, faculty, staff, students, residents, and sponsors had the opportunity to submit bids in person and online. Items included in the auction ranged from date nights to faculty tutoring sessions.
The pageant featured 21 male dental students competing across three rounds of competition for the coveted title of ‘Mr. Gold Crown.” Rounds consisted of a catwalk round, talent round, and interview round. Once the field was narrowed down to four, contestants walked around the room collecting donations from attendees that went towards their final score. Judges for the evening were Shalizeh ‘Shelly’ Patel, DDS, MEd; Juliana A. Barros, DDS, MS; Robert D. Spears, PhD; and Amity L. Gardner, DDS.
At the end of the evening, fourth-year dental student Chance Hunsaker was named Mr. Gold Crown. First-year dental student Justice Peveto was the runner-up.
“It’s an absolute honor to win [Mr. Gold Crown],” Hunsaker said. “TAWD is a great organization. It’s fun to be out here with my friends and classmates, competing against each other. Not that this is a real competition, we’re all out there to make the most laughs, raise some money, and have a great evening with one another.”
Other dental student winners included first-year Kevin Hollar (Mr. Swag), fourth-year Joshua George (Mr. Congeniality), and second-year Andrew Augustine (Mr. Talented).
The Story Behind Cinderfella
Mina, a 31-year-old mother of two, was a second-year dental student at the School of Dentistry when she was killed by her estranged husband on the eve of their divorce in 2007. The Mina Rosenthal-Eames Fund was established in 2009 in her memory and helps cover the cost of dental care for domestic violence victims who might otherwise not be able to pay for treatment.
For more information or to donate, contact UTSD.TAWD@gmail.com. Contributions may also be mailed to:
Attn: TAWD
UTHealth School of Dentistry
Office of Student and Academic Affairs, Suite 4120
7500 Cambridge St., Houston TX 77054