Boys and Girls Clubs Get $10K Grant for Dental Hygiene Program

ST. CLOUD -- The Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota can still help give kids a healthy smile with the help a $10,000 grant.

The grant given by Delta Dental of Minnesota helps fund the Healthy Smiles Healthy Kids program at the Roosevelt, Eastside and Southside clubs.

Aimee Minnerath is the Marketing Director for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota. She says the grant is used to help create healthy dental hygiene habits.

"What they are doing with this grant is really supporting 'Cavity Free Zone.' Which is a program to promote healthy oral hygiene among our kids. It's really really important actually untreated cavities is one of the number one reasons kids stay home from school. They don't have the opportunity to visit a dentist and they have pain."

Minnerath says the kids learn how to properly brush their teeth, floss and eat healthy foods, all of that combined helps them be more cautious about their dental health.

The club is also giving kids the tools they need to have a pearly white smile.

"Delta Dental also provides hundreds of toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss for our kids. For many of the kids that we serve the toothbrush that they get at the club is the first toothbrush they've ever had. I know that's something that we feel might like it's kind of second nature but when families are dealing with other crises in the household brushing your teeth kind of falls down on the list of priorities."

Minnerath says any support they can give kids at the club, in turn, helps kids lead a healthier life.

This is the 14th year that Delta Dental has supported the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota for the Healthy Smiles Healthy Kids program.