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Indian American dentist duo raise $60K for five charities
The Florida-based brothers turned their Cotopaxi climb into a fundraising effort benefiting five charitable organizations.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 14, Aug 2026
- 14:00 EDT
- 29
Sangiv Patel and Rajiv Patel / Smile Gallery in Melbourne
Indian American dentist brothers Sangiv Patel and Rajiv Patel from Florida scaled Ecuador’s Cotopaxi volcano and raised $60,000 for five charities.
The brothers’ “Cotopaxi Charity Expedition” combined the high-altitude ascent of the 19,347-foot active volcano with a matched-giving campaign supporting The Children’s Hunger Project, Rescue Outreach Mission, Love Missions Global, the Rotary Club of Lake Mary Charitable Giving Foundation and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry Foundation (AAIDF).
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Patel, founder of The Smile Gallery Dental Practice in Melbourne, and his brother Rajiv, a retired dentist and former founder of DeLand Implant Dentistry in DeLand, used the expedition to turn a personal climbing challenge into a fundraising effort.
“We've been fortunate in our careers, and that good fortune comes with a responsibility to give back,” Sangiv Patel said. “Climbing Cotopaxi was our way of showing that the causes we care about are worth every hard step, and we hope it inspires others to turn their own challenges into something bigger than themselves.”
The expedition also received recognition from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Both brothers were featured in the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of AAID News, the organization’s official publication. The AAID Foundation also thanked them for including the foundation among the beneficiaries and for contributing to its matching campaign.
“Love to see both of you in the AAID News. Thank you again for including us in your donations, and for your personal contribution to the match,” Lauren Ambrus of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry Foundation said.
For Rajiv Patel, the expedition provided an opportunity to connect the physical challenge of the climb with the needs of the organizations benefiting from the fundraiser.
“Standing on that summit, exhausted and freezing, I kept thinking about the families these five organizations serve every single day. That's the real climb,” he said. “If our expedition can bring even a little more attention and support to their work, then every difficult step on that mountain was worth it.”
Sangiv Patel has practiced dentistry in Melbourne since 1995 and has more than three decades of experience in implant, restorative and comprehensive dental care. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and has served in leadership positions including Immediate Past President of the AAID Southern District and a member of the AAID Board of Trustees. He is also an educator, mentor, author and international lecturer.
Rajiv Patel practiced implant and restorative dentistry in DeLand for nearly four decades before retiring in 2025. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry and a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He has also held leadership roles with the AAID, including serving as a trustee and Southern District president.
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