Thursday, March 28, 2024

Drive for a Smile for Kids ~ A Success!

**Update: Thank you to everyone who contributed to the “Drive for a Smile for Kids” campaign.  We collected more than 600 toothbrushes for needy children and nearly 70 tubes of toothpaste.  A special “Thank You” to our VIPs or Volunteers in Public Safety, especially LeAnn Boyce who collected a majority of the donations from local dentists and individuals. Also, to Dr. Stan Preece Pediatric Dentistry of Keller for his generous donation of toothbrushes.  Your donations will go a long way to provide good dental health for children who otherwise could not afford it.

A child’s smile is such a gift and you can help make lots of kids smile during the month of February!  You can also help them learn more about good Dental Health which is important in preventing tooth decay; the most common chronic childhood disease according to the Surgeon General.

Southlake’s Department of Public Safety is partnering with Cook Children’s Hospital, the  Southlake-Carroll Independent School District and Kohl’s Champions for kids to collect new toothbrushes for children.

Here are just a few facts about families who can’t afford the luxury of a toothbrush for their child:

  • 51%
    Million hours lost from school due to a dental related illness.
  • 60%
    Of Tarrant County school districts report dental pain as a top-ten reason for absence
    from school.
  • 50%
    Of Tarrant County children at school are in need of a toothbrush.
  • Dental disease can affect a child’s growth, lead to further dental deformities and
    result in potentially life threatening swelling.
  • New research now links other health problems including; weakened immune systems,
    heart disease, diabetes and stroke to poor dental health.

In 2011, through your generous donations, Tarrant County was able to distribute 84,000  toothbrushes, 52,000 tubes of toothpaste and more than 12,000 oral hygiene kits.  Just imagine, for the price of a toothbrush you can help a child in need smile and also help them get a jump on good oral health. Southlake DPS has set up donation boxes at both of our fire stations to collect the toothbrushes.  You can also drop off your donations at Cook Children’s Urgent Care and Pediatric Specialties.

Drop off locations are listed below:

Southlake
DPS Fire Station #1

600 State Street (Front lobby open 24
hours)

Southlake
DPS Fire Station #2

2100 W. Southlake Blvd. (Front lobby
open 24 hours)

Cook
Children’s Urgent Care and Pediatric Specialties

2727 E. Southlake Blvd.  (Open 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)

You may drop off new, packaged toothbrushes either individually or as a group project through your company or organization. The more donations the more smiles we can put on children’s faces and help prevent tooth decay as well as prevent other dental and health conditions.

If you have any questions about the “Drive for a Smile” program, please call 682-885-4162
or 817-748-8349 and ask for Renni Burt our DPS Community Initiatives
Offices.  Thank you for your support.