Irvine, Calif., June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smile Generation® and its nationwide network of trusted dental practices recently completed a two-month fundraising campaign in support of charity: water, a non-profit organization that brings clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries. The campaign, “Give Water. Make Someone’s Life More Beautiful,” ran April 1 – May 31 and raised $722,986, surpassing the initial goal by over $120,000. All funds raised go towards providing clean drinking water to vulnerable populations in Uganda through the construction of community-owned, sustainable, and safe water sources built to last for generations. Over 900 Smile Generation-trusted dental practices participated in this year’s campaign, which will fund clean water sources for an estimated 11,800 people in need.
Smile Generation has proudly partnered with charity: water since 2009 to fund water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs for rural communities around the world. The collective efforts from Smile Generation-trusted dental practices have brought clean drinking water to more than 200,000 people in need in six countries. In Uganda, over 20 million people are living without basic access to safe drinking water. That’s 44 percent of the population in the East African country.
According to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, 771 million people in the world live without clean water, nearly one in 10 people worldwide. The majority live in isolated rural areas and spend hours each day walking to collect water for their family. Not only does the time walking for clean water keep children out of school and parents out of work, but the water can also be contaminated and often carries diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio, according to the World Health Organization. In addition, half of the world’s population is expected to be living in water-stressed areas by 2025.
Smile Generation-trusted offices are supported by Pacific Dental Services® (PDS), one of the country’s leading dental support organizations. Smile Generation helps connect patients to trusted dentists – oral health care professionals who are dedicated to providing patients with an exceptional dental experience utilizing advanced clinical care and proven technology. It also provides helpful financial options for patients so they can afford the dental care they need and want, and education about the link between oral health and overall health, or what PDS and its supported practices call the Mouth-Body Connection®, while also working to be a force for good in the communities it serves.
“It is so exciting to witness the collective efforts of the entire Smile Generation family as they donate their time, talents, and money to a cause that directly impacts a person’s overall health and wellbeing,” said Kyle Guerin, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at PDS. “Through the generous support of our donors, this year’s campaign was one of our most impactful to date. We were able to surpass our original $600,000 donation goal and give even more to charity: water’s mission to provide clean drinking water for people around the world.”
“We are humbled by the commitment, teamwork, and generosity of the Smile Generation community,” said Scott Harrison, CEO of charity: water. “They were able to once again rally their network to bring clean water to communities in developing countries. Thank you for helping others live prosperous, beautiful lives.”
Founded in 2006, charity: water has funded water projects in 29 countries around the globe – in Africa, Asia, Central and South America – serving 14.76 million people.
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About Smile Generation
The Smile Generation connects patients to Smile Generation-trusted dentists who are dedicated to providing an exceptional patient experience and advanced clinical care. Smile Generation also provides financial choices for patients and education about the connection between oral health and overall health. The Smile Generation network spans more than 875 dental offices in 26 states. Smile Generation-trusted offices are supported by Pacific Dental Services®. For more information, visit us at smilegeneration.com or follow us on Facebook @smilegen, Instagram @smilegeneration, Twitter: @smilegen, YouTube: @SmileGenerationTV.
About charity: water
charity: water is a nonprofit on a mission to bring clean, safe drinking water to every single person on the planet. Here at charity: water, there are a few things that make us different: 100% of public donations fund clean water projects, we prove every project we build, and we work with strong local partners to build and maintain projects.
About Pacific Dental Services
Founded in 1994, Pacific Dental Services (PDS) is one of the country’s leading dental support organizations, providing supported autonomy that enables dentists to concentrate on clinical excellence and the highest levels of cost-effective comprehensive patient care. PDS originated the Private Practice+® model to enable dentists to focus on their passion: serving patients. PDS also pioneered the concept of Modern Dentistry so that dentists are equipped to combine advances in the latest technology with the best operational practices and procedures, highly skilled support staff and a commitment to ongoing training and education. PDS continues to grow, with more than 875 supported dental offices across the United States. PDS has been on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America 14 times. PDS-supported dentists aim to be the provider of choice in all the markets they serve and to develop Patients for Life™. For more information, visit us at pacificdentalservices.com or follow us on Facebook: @pacificdentalservices, Instagram: @pacific.dental, LinkedIn: @pacific-dental-services, Twitter: @pacificdental, and YouTube: @pacificdentaltv.
