Dentists Fight Cancer After Losing Mothers

There is no doubt that cancer has affected each of us in our lives one way or another.

Cancer causes a rollercoaster of emotions especially if a loved one loses their hard-fought battle.

Dr. Tom Sellick and Dr. Jeffrey Bueno of in Pleasanton decided to turn the loss of their mothers to breast cancer into a positive by founding Dentists against Cancer in 2009. 

For the past couple of years, the dentists have held a golf tournament and auction to honor Barbara Bueno and Margaret Sellick — the most recent one took place Aug. 19 at Poppy Ridge Golf Course.

The money goes to to buy mammograms for women unable to afford them; it also pays for items such as bra and prosthetic fittings and wigs.

The dentists say they wanted to do this to help women directly, saying the big breast cancer charities have large overhead and do not seem to affect immediate change.

The charity itself is a recognized 501(c)(3) and donations are tax deductible. There is no administrative overhead, they say. Except for what it costs to put on the annual Tri-Valley Memorial Golf Tournament and Auction/Banquet fundraiser, all proceeds go directly to help women in the community, they said.

The four-person scramble event, which is always followed by a banquet and auction, has been open to anyone who loves the cause or just wants to play to honor someone in their life that has dealt with breast cancer. 

In 2010, the golf tournament raised almost $4,000.

Even though the event is over, Bueno and Sellick say they continue to raise money.

Anyone interested in donating can do so via PayPal by going to the website or by sending checks or money orders to the following address: Dentists against Cancer Inc. 3150 Santa Rita Road, Suite 100, Pleasanton, California 94566.