Project Smile

Please click here to read the Fort Collins Coloradoan's article on Project Smile.

PROJECT SMILE IS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HELP REMOVE A MAJOR IMPEDIMENT TO LEARING IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND PERHAPS, EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO LITERALLY CHANGE THE LIFE OF A SMALL CHILD.

To learn more about Project Smile, please contact:
Ron Lautzenheiser
970.214.1275 or 970.267.2962
Email: rklautz@msn.com

SMILESHIP CAMPAIGN
Businesses, groups and individuals are being asked to sponsor a child for 3 years. With parental permission the business, group or individual will be given information about the child and their progress in the program, i.e. a business sponsored child.

The cost per child is $50 per month ($600 per year, $1,800 for the 3 years). The initial fund campaign was conducted May 1, 2007 through May 31, 2007. Currently, this is enabling us to provide the school principal with the number of sponsorships available for each school year.

A campaign kick off event was held at 6 PM on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at the Coloradoan Community Room.

NFCBA conducted its campaign in April 2007 (for its members only).Ambassadors will also be asking to make personal calls on key business leaders, churches and organizations to solicit sponsorships. The NFCBA, Comcast Spotlight and the Coloradoan are leading the general fund campaign.

PROJECT SMILE ENDOWMENT
In order to allow Project Smile to be sustainable, an endowment will be initiated. It is estimated that for each $1,000,000 of endowment, we can sustain the treatment of 100 children. A special endowment fund raising event was held, the Project Smile Oscar Party, on Sunday, February 24, 2008.

Please make checks payable to:
Project Smile and send checks to:
Project Smile c/o Realities For Children
1610 South College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80525

To get involved or learn more about Project Smile,
please contact:
Ron Lautzenheiser
970-214-1275 (cell) 970-267-2962 (home)
email: rklautz@msn.com

May and June 2008 is the time we solicit new Smileships for school year 2008-2009. Our goal is to have 100 (3) year Smileships.

PROJECT SMILE BOARD
The Project Smile Board meets every second Thursday of the month at 5:30pm at the Fort Collins Coloradoan's Community Room. These meetings are open to the public. 1300 Riverside Avenue in Fort Collins. Please call  970.484.9090 for more information.

WHAT'S NEW WITH PROJECT SMILE?
We became a 505 C 3 in September 2007. Also donations are eligible for the Colorado Child Care Tax Credit [50% of the donation up to a credit of $10,000]. The endowment began at the 2008 Oscar Event on Feb. 28, 2008.

The Project Smile Board wishes to thank the Fort Collins Sertoma Club and the Community Foundation for their ongoing generosity and support.

A NEED FOR DENTAL CARE
The vision of Project Smile grew out of a partnership between the North Fort Collins Business Association and Irish Elementary School. Project Smile is a PSD Partnership Center educational program aimed at helping some of our school district’s most vulnerable students, i.e. those young children with severe dental needs. It is a dental program developed by the greater Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce and its business members, Irish Elementary School, PSD Volunteer Center, the Health District of Northern Larimer County, area dentists and the Community Foundation.

Additionally, the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce and its staff have been vital components in making this program a reality for children in Larimer County. The staff has worked extensively to reach out to the business community and devoted a great amount of time and hard work in the creation of Project Smile, resulting in an increase in awareness locally and new opportunities for our community's children in need.

This program provides a chance for area businesses, churches, service organizations, groups and individuals to sponsor a child in serious need of dental care. The first year of our program is a pilot built around one of our most "at risk" schools, Irish Elementary. It is the initial goal of the program to sponsor the 100 most "at risk" Irish Elementary children who have had from little or no dental care. After the lack of proper winter clothing (coats and boots), it has been determined to be the next most critical condition impeding learning at the school.

The Realities For Children organization, serves as the "connecting point" for the community to contact for further information about the Project Smile program. We are happy to answer any questions you may have or provide literature to better help clarify this exciting opportunity for the youth in need.

Irish Elementary, demographically, is the most challenged schools in the PSD System. 90+% of the children participate in federal free lunch programs. To be eligible for lunches, the family income must be less than $16,000 per year.

On February 26 and 27, 2007 the Irish student body (260 children) were given a checkup by the dental staff of the Health District of Northern Larimer County. 116 of the children had extreme dental needs while 39 of the 116 children were found to have conditions requiring immediate treatment. This was the first time most of the children have ever had a dental exam. 100 sponsorships will not meet the Irish need entirely, but the goal is to expand the program in the near future.

Project Smile is a fantastic opportunity for the community to help remove a major impediment to learning in our schools. And perhaps even more important, it’s an opportunity to literally change the life of a small child.

ABOUT IRISH:
*91% of students receive free or reduce lunch benefits
*66% are English language learners
*In kindergarten and 1st grade about 50% of the students are native
  Spanish speakers.

HOW IT WORKS:
1) Project Smile is a long term dental program that will start
    with a pilot project at Irish Elementary School.

2) Children will be provided dental care and education.

3) The Health District of Northern Larimer County will screen students
    at Irish Elementary each year to determine the children with
    the greatest need. Those children will be eligible for sponsorships
    through Project Smile.

4) Irish staff will transport children (and a parent translator) to dental
    providers for regular check-ups and treatment.

5) Participating area dentists will have agreements with Project Smile
    to provide specialized care as needed.

YOU CAN MAKE A DONATION TO PROJECT SMILE OR SPONSOR A CHILD-- CLICK HERE

Click below to learn more about the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado.

REGENT BROADCASTING IS A PROUD SUPPORTER OF PROJECT SMILE: