WOODINVILLE, Wash. — Three Woodinville siblings are giving young athletes across Washington a reason to smile.
Samara, Kiryn, and Kaden Merchant are working to secure free mouth guards for student athletes in our area.
On Tuesday, they made a special delivery to the YMCA in Bellevue through their non-profit organization, ‘Safe Smiles.’
They told KIRO 7 News they were inspired by their father, who is a dentist.
“He came home, and he told us that he had a patient who did have dental damage due to sports, and he wasn’t able to provide or pay for it, and so my dad decided to do it for free,” Samara shared in an interview. “So, we decided that we would donate mouthguards to people so that wouldn’t happen.”
Mouthguards aren’t required for every contact sport—so the Merchants want to create access for young athletes and spread awareness of what the item can do.
“This is something that we could fix,” Kiryn told KIRO 7. “A mouthguard is so small, and doing something so small can save a family from a lot of financial burden and also physical pain.”
The girls both play volleyball – a sport where guards aren’t mandatory.
“We’ve seen a lot of girls diving for the ball and having head injuries and jaw injuries from hitting the ground,” Samara shared.
They’re hoping through their nonprofit to make wearing them more socially acceptable.
Kaden said he’s donated some to his school and to his basketball club.
“That’s a contact sport, and I wanted those people to be safe too because I know them, and I want them to be protected,” he told KIRO 7.
The funds to purchase the mouthguards have been donated by local dentists. The siblings say with the help of their father, they researched suppliers and found one with good quality guards and affordable rates.
“Helping people in the community is important and something everyone should try and do if you have the means to do it,” Kiryn said.
The Merchants said in recent weeks, they’ve upped their efforts to spread awareness.
“Recently our new thing is reaching out to mayors in the area and talking to them about having a Mouthguard Awareness Day or Sports Safety Week so we can get our message spread broader and make more people aware of this issue,” Kiryn said.
Mayor Kelli Curtis of Kirkland named May 30 Mouthguard Awareness Day. In Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell decided on June 10.
To learn more about Safe Smiles, click here.
©2025 Cox Media Group
