Several community organizations, along with the National Dental Association, have collaborated to plan a salute to Dr. Winthrop Holder, a dental surgeon who has served residents of Brooklyn and beyond for many years, both in his professional capacity and in his abiding interest and involvement in community affairs. An Appreciation Evening in honor of Dr. Holder, who has been forced into retirement on account of illness, is scheduled for Sunday evening, Oct. 4 at Tropical Paradise Ballroom in Brooklyn.
Dr. Holder is a trustee and former president of the National Dental Association, a professional advocacy organization for African American dentists, headquartered in Washington, D.C., that was established early in the 20th century. Among the local organizations pooling efforts to honor Dr. Holder’s outstanding service are Morvant Ebonites, Offsetters Cultural Club, Sesame Flyers International, Trinidad & Tobago Folk Arts Institute and W.I. Ex-Servicemen Association, all of which are groups with which Dr. Holder has had a personal connection. Besides the co-hosting organizations, several other community groups are expected to be represented at the event.
In a statement, the organizing committee for the Oct. 4 occasion said: “As a tireless crusader for community upliftment, as a mentor and in his support of innumerable causes, Dr. Holder has been the perfect exemplar, as much dedicated to continuously seeking betterment for the community as to his service as a health care professional.”
Dr. Holder, a national of Trinidad and Tobago, served in the West Indies Regiment of the short-lived West Indies Federation, based in Jamaica, before emigrating to the U.S. and pursuing dental studies at Howard University. He has been very much involved over the years in Howard University’s alumni affairs.
The Appreciation Evening for Dr. Holder commences at 6 pm. Tropical Paradise Ballroom is located at 1367 Utica Ave. (between Foster Avenue & Farragut Road), Brooklyn. For further information about the event, persons interested may call: 347-725-9778; 917-653-8304; or 718-252-6161.
