EUGENE, Ore. -- A group of Lane County veterans will have a chance this Saturday to receive free dental work. The clinic is open this Saturday starting at 9 a.m., at the Lane Community College Dental Clinic, and is scheduled to treat 50 veterans with mouth and teeth problems. The dental care will be provided free of charge by seven local and retired dentists, with the help of the Lane County Stand Down Committee. Lane County Stand Down is a group dedicated to aiding all active and retired veterans in Lane County. The clinic will last from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, November 14th.

Sharon Hagen, the leader of the Lane Community College dental hygeine program, has agreed to let the group use the community college clinic free of charge.

Jim Moon, a retired Creswell dentist, first became involved in the program when he and three other dentists volunteered their time, supplies and expertise to the Lane County Stand Down event this past August. Moon has since gathered a group of more than 10 dentists interested in providing free dental services for veterans in Lane County.

Although this is the only dental clinic currently scheduled by the Stand Down Committee, some veterans will be offered continued dental service, free of charge, by the dentists in their offices.

The Stand Down Committee is planning a series of fundraisers to help repay the clinic and the dentists for the supplies and costs incurred.

Darryl Hastings, a local veteran and project coordinator of the Lane County Stand Down dental clinic, says he hopes this clinic is the just the "start of something big that will go on for a long, long time."