In addition to providing their clients with healthy, attractive smiles, Dr. Aejaaz Issa and the staff of Ai Orthodontics are also practitioners of the art of giving.

Each year the Ai Orthodontics team chooses a cause to support. The Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley became the 2014 focus.

To raise funds, Ai Orthodontics decided to sell long sleeved T-shirts. After discussing the issue with friend and fellow professional Dr. Ari Forgosh of Green Hills Dentistry, Issa invited other area dental professionals to participate in the project. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Most graciously accepted the challenge.

Forgosh's wife, Margee, a graphic artist, designed the black shirts; on the front the word "believe" appears in bold, white letters. "Believe" captures the theme of the project because, as Issa explains, "You can overcome anything if you believe."

The participants' names are listed on the back, including: Green Hills Family & Cosmetic Dentistry - Dr. Ari Forgosh; Dr. Marsha Gordon & Dr. Wanda Janik Pediatric Dentist; Lehigh Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery; Quakertown Family Dental; Dr. Eric J. Marsh & Dr. Michele A. Pisano-Marsh; Brookside Dental Care; Lehigh Valley Prosthodontics; Dorneyville Dental; Dr. Kathy Curran; Lehigh Valley Endodontics; Valley Dental LLC - Dr. Nadia Afzal; Dr. Timothy Wright Cosmetic Dentist; Dr. John Albright; Dr. Thomas McKee, Periodontist; Dr. Leonard Salines Family Dentist; Pellegrino Cosmetic & Family Dentist; Dr. Michael Carol Family Dentist; Shoenberger Family Dental; Allentown Bethlehem Pediatric Dental Associates; Dr. Phillip Brinton Pediatric Dentist; Extraordinary Smiles - Dr. Charles Harding; Dr. Sophia Kladias; Dr. Jennifer Risley; Physical Graffi-Tees; Lehigh Print and Data.

Ai Orthodontics covered the cost of the printed shirts to ensure all of the purchase price went toward meeting the original $5,000 donation goal. Happily, the project raised $7,020, a resounding success in more ways than one.