Washington—Let’s hear it for Give Kids A Smile corporate sponsors, ADA President Dr. Charles Norman said at a DC Dental Society Foundation reception Feb. 6 honoring GKAS volunteers and community partners.
“The work we do with Give Kids A Smile would not be possible without their ongoing generous support,” he said, introducing representatives of:
- Henry Schein Dental, exclusive GKAS provider of professional dental products, with “special thanks to Tim Sullivan,” president;
- Colgate, exclusive GKAS provider of consumer dental products, with “special thanks to Dr. Barbara Shearer,” director of scientific affairs at Colgate-Oral Pharmaceuticals, and
- DEXIS, with “special thanks to Candy Ross,” director of industry and professional relations, dental technologies, NA, KaVo Kerr Group.
Speaking at the reception and the following morning at the 2014 GKAS national kickoff event at the Howard University College of Dentistry, they talked of children, community and oral health.
- Mr. Sullivan: Give Kids A Smile includes all facets of the dental community, organized dentistry at the local, state and national levels, the academic world of dental schools and researchers, dental industry and sponsors and many other individuals and companies.
- Dr. Shearer: This is a public-private partnership. We are giving children the oral health education they need. I see the difference it makes in children’s lives.
- Ms. Ross: I get emotional this day. You all get gifts, the gift of helping kids. We can and we should continue to serve the underserved.
Dr. Sally Cram, president of the DC Dental Society Foundation, also gave a shout out to local GKAS partners, introducing Benco Dental’s regional manager and announcing, “For the first time this year, we have community sponsorship for our [DC Dental] Foundation and Give Kids a Smile day from a non-dental corporation, TD Bank.”