Learning is easier with a healthy smile

By Gary Raham
Correspondent

Irish Elementary School teacher Jeannie Craft thought she was being conscientious by giving some of her young students toothbrushes for presents when she noticed they hurt from decayed teeth and damaged gums.

"I was so missing the mark with this," she acknowledged later.

Her eyes were opened to the problem when a local businessman, Ron Lautzenheiser, took the time to ask the school principal, "What can I do to help you?" Brenda Gifford, principal at that time, surprised him when she said, "I really want to look at the dental needs in this school."

Irish Elementary, located at 515 Irish Drive in north Fort Collins, serves some of the most challenged students in the district. Ninety-one percent of students receive free or reduced lunches, which means that their families earn less than $16,000 per year. Sixty-six percent of students are English language learners, and in kindergarten and first grade, 50 percent of students are native Spanish speakers.

Lautzenheiser took up the challenge of surveying and addressing the dental problems of Irish's students with the help of the North Fort Collins Business Association and area dentists. On Feb. 26, the 260 children of Irish's student body were given checkups by the staff of the Health District of Northern Larimer County. One hundred sixteen children had extreme dental needs and 39 of those had conditions needing immediate treatment. These children needed financial sponsorship, or smileships, to give them healthy smiles, and the premise behind Project Smile was born.

Craft praises the dedication of the NFCBA to help the children. "These guys have taken on this project and made it their mission," she said.

She went on to describe how they arranged transportation to get children to and from dentists. Dentists - like Dr. Greg Evans and his staff - then donated their time and skills.

"I remember this little boy whose gums bled so much he probably had never brushed his teeth in his life," said Craft. "It was an education for me as well."

The program will also provide an educational component for parents so they can make sure their children maintain dental health.

Getting children healthy so they have a fair shot at getting the education they need constitutes the prime thrust of Project Smile. Craft says NFCBA members have put hundreds of volunteer hours into coordinating services and making the public aware of the problem. Redeemer Lutheran Church also has also taken a leadership role. Craft, now on the board of directors of Project Smile, said an attorney is providing pro bono time to prepare the program's application for nonprofit status.

Project Smile still needs the following support:

• Businesses, groups and individuals who will sponsor children with smileships. A three-year commitment to a child at $50 per month would cost $600 per year or $1,800 for three years.
• Ambassadors willing to make personal calls on business leaders, churches and other organizations to solicit smileships.
• Donations contributing to an endowment fund that can sustain the treatment of 100 children.

The group has already had some successes. Redeemer Lutheran Church has donated $1,000 and an anonymous donor $20,000 to the Health District of Northern Larimer County to provide care through the summer and into school year 2007-2008. Project Smile has also found 50 smileships, but fell short of the 50 additional sponsorships they hoped to get before the start of school.

Donations may be earmarked for Project Smile and mailed to The Community Foundation, 4745 Wheaton Drive, Suite 100, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

For more information, call Ron Lautzenheiser at 214-1275 or 267-2962 or e-mail him at rklautz@msn.com.

Project Smile also has a web site at www.rfcprojectsmile.com.