Dr. Tracy and Rhonda Murray (far right) with Mark and Virgie Hunter and Murray’s office staff were on hand Monday for the presentation of a check for $3,301 from Murray and his staff to the Steven A. Hunter Hope Fund. Murray donated the proceeds from a whitening service he provided patients this past spring and summer.

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FRANK LEWIS

PDT Staff Writer

Dr. Tracy Murray, DDS, and his team presented a check for $3,301 to Mark and Virgie Hunter for the Steven A. Hunter Hope Fund Monday morning is Murray’s office. During the past spring and summer, Murray provided teeth whitening services to patients at a reduced price and donated 100 percent of the proceeds. Over the last five years, Murray and his team have presented the fund nearly $17,500. In addition to the $3,301 in this years donation, Murray also donated $1,000.

“It has been a tremendous blessing,” Mark Hunter of the Steven A. Hunter Hope Fund said. “They truly are community partners with us. You hate to say you count on anything, but over five years, obviously it’s very consistent, and that helps you with your planning, and it helps you when you are thinking about your expansion and your commitments to these schools. And with that assurance we can move forward. We are adding new schools. We will be up to five school districts and seven buildings. So in a couple of weeks we will be up to 330 children every weekend.”

The goal of the fund, according to Hunter, is to provide assistance to the students who attend Portsmouth City Schools and have financial needs. The fund also supports Steven’s Power Pack Program, providing food for the weekend for elementary aged school children with financial needs.

“We provide meals for the weekends which consists of two meals,” Virgie Hunter of the Steven A. Hunter Hope Fund said. “Some of the families say that this keeps the entire family from going hungry for the weekend. We see children whose shoes are falling apart, their clothing, I see it, literally. They can depend on getting jeans, shoes, tops, mittens, caps, the teachers keep any eye out and they monitor and they give us a call.”

The program has been broadened to include in addition to Portsmouth City Schools, New Boston, Northwest, Portsmouth West and Valley Elementary.

“This year’s effort was a great success, and we want to thank everyone in the community who participated by purchasing whitening services from us during the campaign,” Murray said. “The Steven Hunter Hope Fund is such a blessing for the children of our area, and we are honored to help their cause.”

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com