Nearly 60 Illinois Schools to Receive New Water Bottle-Filling Stations
Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation and Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation award 2024 H2O on the Go grants.
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Aug. 6, 2024) – Nearly 60 Illinois elementary, middle and high schools will be receiving new water bottle-filling stations as part of the H2O On the Go grant program, an initiative created by Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation and Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation to encourage students to drink more water. Additionally, grant recipients will receive toothbrushes and reusable water bottles for each student.
“H2O On the Go encourages a healthier lifestyle for Illinois students by encouraging them to drink water instead of sugary beverages,” says Lora Vitek, executive director of Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation. “And, our drinking fountains have fluoridated water, which strengthens teeth and reduces cavities.”
“We are proud to create access to clean drinking water in more than 350 Illinois schools since the program began. In 2024 alone, we’ll be impacting over 25,000 students,” says Heather Higgins Alderman, president and CEO of Illinois Children’s Foundation.
According to Delta Dental of Illinois’ 2022 Children’s Oral Health Survey, 62% of Illinois parents reported that their child currently has or has experienced a dental issue, the most common being cavities. A recent study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that increasing water accessibility for children had a direct correlation with improved hydration and overall health.[i] In addition to the oral health benefits, drinking fluoridated water improves energy and concentration.
Aside from providing access to drinking water, the water bottle-filling stations are certified to reduce lead and other harmful contaminants in water, help reduce waste, and promote conservation efforts.
See a full list of Illinois schools selected for this year’s H2O On the Go program here: www.deltadentalil.com/h2o-on-the-go-recipients.
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About Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation
The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation was formed in March 2008 by Delta Dental of Illinois, a not-for-profit dental service corporation with a mission to improve the oral health of the communities it serves. Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of Delta Dental of Illinois and works to support and improve the oral health of people in Illinois. In the past decade, combined efforts of Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation have provided more than $30 million to programs and organizations in Illinois that improve the oral health of the residents of Illinois. For additional information, visit deltadentalil.com/ddilfoundation.
About Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation
Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF) has a single vision: Every child in Illinois grows up healthy. Working through grantee partners across the state, the Foundation focuses its grant-making on identifying and funding solutions to the barriers that prevent children from accessing the ongoing health care they need. For more information, go to ilchf.org.
[i] American Academy of Pediatrics, https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2022-060021/193271/Effectiveness-of-a-School-Drinking-Water-Promotion?autologincheck=redirected