COSTA MESA, Calif. – May 14, 2013 – For the seventh consecutive year, CareCreditSM has donated $100,000 to the ADA Foundation Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) Fund®. This year, half of the total grant amount is designated to support the Ad Council’s 2min2X oral care campaign through funding of four major events:
- one dental school screening for underserved children
- two elementary school education events for underserved children (Calif. and Mo.)
- Missions of Mercy/Give Kids A Smile children’s oral health education and treatment event at the 2013 ADA Annual Session
Each event will incorporate and support the Ad Council’s 2min2x oral care campaign, educating and encouraging children to spend two minutes brushing their teeth, twice a day, and providing free oral care education and toothbrush kits.
The first oral education event was held March 21 at Troth Elementary School in Jurupa Valley, Calif., with nearly 950 students in attendance. Many of the children commented that this was the first time they had their own toothbrush to use at home. The fourth event, Missions of Mercy/Give Kids A Smile, will receive half of the designated $50,000 and is a one-day event to be held in conjunction with the ADA Annual Session in New Orleans on November 3, 2013. During the Session, dentists and dental team members will volunteer their services to provide 200 underserved children with education, screening, sealants, fluoride and any treatment, if needed.
“These events will enable us to deliver a message about good oral health to thousands of parents and children this year,” said Cindy Hearn, senior vice president of branding & communications for CareCredit, 2013 advisory committee member of the GKAS National Advisory Committee, and an ADA Foundation board member. “As the Founding Donor of the ADA Foundation GKAS Fund, we are pleased that a portion of our grant will be used for these exciting programs and can, in a unique and relevant way, improve the lives of children who have little to no access to necessary dental care.”
For more information about the GKAS events visit: facebook.com/GiveKidsASmile or follow GKAS on Twitter @GiveKidsASmile.
About CareCredit:
For more than 25 years, CareCredit has helped millions of patients receive needed and desired care. CareCredit is a healthcare credit card that can be used as a financing option for certain expenses not covered by insurance or to bridge payment when desired care exceeds insurance coverage, and it is accepted at nearly 100,000 enrolled dental practices. CareCredit is exclusively selected for their members by most state and national dental associations including ADA Business ResourcesSM, AGD, AAOMS Services, Inc., AADOM, and AAP, and is also recommended by leading practice management educators. For more information on CareCredit, call 800-300-3046 or visit www.carecredit.com/dental.
About the ADA Foundation:
The ADA Foundation is a catalyst for connecting people and changing lives. In its history, the ADA Foundation has disbursed nearly $36.5 million to support charitable activities. These include grants for dental research and access to care, awards and scholarships. In addition, the ADA Foundation supports Charitable Assistance programs such as relief grants to dentists and their dependents that are unable to support themselves due to injury, a medical condition, or advanced age and grants to dentists who are victims of disasters. For more information, visit www.adafoundation.org.
