WATERLOO - The Iowa Dental Association recently received a national honor for the inaugural Iowa Mission of Mercy event last fall.

The American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership awarded the Iowa Dental Association the Associations Advance America Award of Excellence. Dr. Richard Hettinger, Iowa Mission of Mercy chairman, said the Iowa event was one of 140 submitted for the award and one of 20 chosen.

"For us to rise to the top like that is wonderful," he said. "This is just further affirmation that these events are really respected by a lot of people. It is great when organizations within your state say nice things about you … but this is a national organization and an entirely different level of recognition."

The AAA Awards program recognizes associations and industry partners that improve quality of life with innovative programs. The Waterloo event, held Oct. 3-4 at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center, served 1,254 patients, providing them with about $602,000 in free oral-health care. About 950 people, including dentists and hygienists, volunteered at the event.

The Iowa Dental Association, through the Iowa Dental Foundation, is planning the second annual Iowa Mission of Mercy for September in central Iowa. Organizers plan to release more details soon about exact dates and a location. Originally, committee members had said they would wait about 18 months to open another Mission of Mercy clinic.

"I think we just realized we could do it a little quicker the second time around, and we didn't want to put it off," Hettinger said.

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1570 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.