today Chicago Midwinter Meeting Feb. 28

By Robert Selleck, today Staff n Supporters, principals and ben- eficiaries of National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s Tooth- Fairy (NCOHF) gathered Thursday evening at the Midwinter Meeting to celebrate a year of successes with the organization’s mission, which is “To eliminatechildren’spreventablepain and suffering from pediatric dental disease.” Henk van Duijnhoven, a senior vice president at KaVo Kerr Group and the 2015 Chairman of NCOHF, noted in his opening remarks that the organization had raised more than $14 million since its founding nearly 10 years ago. He said the foundation helped just under 2 million under- served children and their caregivers in 2014; and he then presented an ambitious goal of increasing that number to 3 million to mark the organization’s 10th anniversary year. He urged attendees to, “Think about whatactionyoucantaketohelpmove this great cause forward.” NCOHF board member and long- time supporter Gordon Christensen, DDS, said that unlike many cause- related organizations, NCHOF directs all contributions directly to those being served. “I don’t know of any greater organi- zation,” he said, encouraging attend- ees to find more opportunities to “Do good — and do well.” The comment was an appropriate lead-in to later remarks by NCOHF President and CEO Fern Ingber, who provided details about an evolving cause-marketing program that ena- bles qualifying corporations to more closely link sales of certain prod- ucts or services to NCOHF support via underwriting agreements tied directly to sales volume. Ingber also ran through a list of new relationships the organization had entered to increase its reach, explaining that, “We’re looking for partners not only in the dental com- munity but in all segments of society.” chicago news4 Chicago Midwinter Meeting — February 28, 2015 Midwinter warmed by ‘Smiles’ Ad National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s ToothFairy marks a year of successes 5 Lauren Kuhn, 2014 Miss Massachusetts and a second-year dental student at Harvard University School of Dentistry, is active with the Harvard University Dental Students United with America’s ToothFairy. (Photos/Robert Selleck, today Staff) 8 see SMILES, page 24

today Chicago Midwinter Meeting Feb. 28

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