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PFA Section Grants Available

Projects in which a significant number of PFA Fellows participate, and in which the Academy Section has control of the project, may be awarded up to $5000 each.

Some recent examples are:

• Toothprints – a program to identify lost or abused children. For this, the Massachusetts Section of the PFA, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Norman Becker, received a PFA Foundation grant of $5000 in 2003. A child bites into a thermoplastic wafer, which becomes a record of his/her occlusion and also contains the DNA of the saliva. The child is also fingerprinted and video taped. The entire package is then sealed in a bag and give to the parent.

• In 2004, the same Section, under the direction of Michelle Sanford, received another grant of the same size to create, print, and mail a calendar on smokeless tobacco to be displayed in 375 high schools throughout Massachusetts. A contest is held for high school teens to create a picture or painting depicting the negative health effects of smokeless tobacco.

• The Japan Section has provided oral health care for the elderly who live in far isolated islands in the Nagasaki Region who are unable to obtain dental services.

The services include examination, instruction, dental treatment, and prophylaxis. This program was under the direction of Trustee Dr. Mamoru Sakuda and Section Chairman Dr. Tsuneaki Kuwahata.

• The Kentucky PFA, under Chairman Dr. Karl Lange, participated in a dental care program with the Kentucky State Fair where 1500 children were served. Last year, 750 dental volunteers provided hygiene education and sealants for the participants.

• The Connecticut PFA Section provided free dental care to the needy children where dentists donate office space to periodic sessions manned by dentists and hygienists. This was under the direction of Chairman William MacDonnell. The funding covered the educational materials and supplies.

Over the last 10 years, the PFA Foundation, YOUR Foundation, has disbursed over $3.5 million for service grants and scholarships.

A simplified Section grant request form can be provided to the Section Chairperson by contacting Dr. Fred Halik, the Foundation’s Executive Director at FPFA@Rochester.rr.com. The deadline for applications is 1 June 2006. If your Section is not ready for this year’s deadline, you are invited to put together a program during the year and apply the following year. The Section grant requests have a high priority in the Board review.

Remember that these grants require a high percentage of participation by the PFA Fellows themselves.

Foundation Board Workshop Meeting

The Foundation Board of Trustees met on Saturday 9 April 2005 at the Chicago O’Hare Hilton Airport Hotel to conduct Foundation business matters. They approved the Minutes of the 2004 Annual October Meeting in Orlando distributed by Executive Director Fred Halik by mail.

Investments that fund the service grants and the student scholarships were a main source of consideration by the Foundation Board of Trustees as they met for their interim “Workshop” Meeting. Stock and bond markets and their fluctuations may have an effect, of course. The 2004 Financial Report and the 2005 budget were reviewed by Treasurer Bill Kort.

Remembering that the bulk of the endowment funds of our Foundation came from a $5 million bequest by a Costa Rica PFA Fellow, Dr. Fernando Brenes Espinach, the Board authorized the final grant payment to the Costa Rica School of Dentistry for the development of their new Data Processing Center. This project follows the grant to the PFA Section for their recently completed Multimedia Teaching System. The PFA Section leaders are past Chairman Dr. Mario Rodriguez Cordero and Chairman Ronald de la Cruz.

Dr. Larry Barrett, who chairs the Fundraising Committee, named Academy President Michael Perpich and Editor James Brophy to serve on his committee.

The afternoon session concentrated on Academy President-elect Howard Mark’s suggestions for amendments to the By Laws.

The Grants Committee, under Chairman Gary Lowder, reviewed their program for grant applications that will come to the Board at their October 2005 Meeting.

2004 Foundation Grants

The PFA Foundation has released the names of those groups receiving funding from our Foundation for this year. The groups are:

Removable Smiles by Dr. Daniel Sykes

Bridge the Gap in Laos by Netherlands Fellow Dam Backer

Dentures for Seniors by Dr. Kenneth Cooper

HEALS Bright Smiles by Dr. Charles Hall

Dental Center Outreach by Felicia Diamond

Emergency Dental Bus by Pierre Marois and Conseil President Yves Mahe of Paris

Himalayan Dental Project by Dr. Andrew Holacek

The USCD Free Dental Clinic in San Diego by Dr. Irvin Silverstein

The Dental Hygiene Program by Sister Kathleen Ann Kolb

The Ben Massell Clinic by Gary Miller

Craniofacial Surgery by Drs. James Vernetti and Terry Tanaka of California

Dental Care for the Needy by Marianne Hill

The Childhood in Action Plan by Dr. Robert Schroth

The Tips on Spit Calendar by Dr. Norman Becker of Massachusetts

The Community Denture Project by Stephanie Jensen

The Restorative Dentistry for the Homeless by Michael Ward of California

New Beginnings Project by Dr. Baljit Singh

Oral Health in Laos by Dr. Monique Triller

Healthy Smiles 2010 by Kentucky’s Karl Lange

Comprehensive Oral Care by Marianne Hartman

Smiles for the Quiet Corner by Dr. William MacDonnell

Oral Health Prevention by Dr. Cherilyn Sheets of California

The Emergency Dental Bus by Celeste Newcomb

Dental Care for Uninsured Children by Dr. Cindy Derer

Uninsured Child Dental Care by Elly Mack

Lights for Haiti Outreach Program by Dr. Ramon Lugo

Dental Care for AIDs by Kate Venne

Kids Smiles by Cheryl Janssen

Families First Health Center by Helen Taft

W.V. Health Right Clinic by Patricia White

The Community College of Southern Nevada for teaching equipment

and grants to the PFA Academy for their publications, Web site, and museum.

Foundation News

Argentina

Even as he was being prepared to be laid to rest, Dr. Levit’s legacy moved forward under the guidance of his sister Ines Sara Levit who awarded the scholarships to the Universidad Nacional de Rosario dental students Fernando Adrian Bertuol and Juan Franco Ciafarone; and to the Universidad del Salvador dental students Maria de la Trinidad Bernasconi and Lucila Bagu. Even as death took our amigo, he carried out his PFA duty.

Australasia

Dean Eric C. Reynolds of the University of Melbourne School of Dental Science presented the Foundation Scholarship Award to dental student Adrian De Angelis. Professor Reynolds expressed his thanks to the Academy and Foundation for the opportunity to honour one of their students.

L-R, Dean Eric Reynolds, recipient Adrian De Angelis,
and Dr. Gerald Clausen

Bulgaria

Chair Valentin Moutafchiev presented the Foundation Scholarship Award to Dr. Andreeva. He noted that her youth, abilities, and ambition will strengthen the PFA activities in Bulgaria.

Canada

Fellow Evelyn McNee presented the Foundation Scholarship to the University of British Columbia senior dental student Warrick Yu. Dr. Yu was quite thankful for the recognition. He plans to practice in the Vancouver area.

California, Southern Section

International Trustee Charles Eller announced the 2004 Foundation Awards at their annual PFA Luncheon held last May during the Southern California Annual Scientific Session Meeting. The awards were presented to (1) The Thousand Smiles Foundation of Chula Vista under Drs. Tanaka and Jim Vernetti; (2) the MEND Dental Clinic of Pacoima under Dr. David M. Campbell; (3) The Children’s Dental Center of Inglewood under Dr. Cherilyn Sheets; (4) The St. Vincent de Paul Village Dental Clinic of San Diego under Dr. Michael Ward; and (5) the USCD Student Run Free Dental Clinic in San Diego under Dr. Irvin Silverstein.

Minnesota

Chair Michael Schafhauser reports presenting the Foundation Scholarship to the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry’s dental student Camille Walker with Laura Bohland from the University. Dr. Schafhauser then introduced the recipient Camille Walker to the Section at their Annual Meeting, commenting that “if we had to compete with the likes of her for admission to dental school, none of us would be in dentistry.”

Camille Walker thanked the Section in person and by letter stating, “It is a real honor to be chosen for this scholarship, especially by such a neat organization!”

Nebraska

The Section Chair Francis Cavlovic reported that their Section’s Secretary/Treasurer Gary Westerman and Creighton University Medical Center School of Dentistry Dean Wayne W. Barkmeier presented the Foundation Scholarship check and certificate to dental student Albert J. Zambito last March.

L-R, Dean Wayne Barkmeier, recipient Albert Zambito, and Section Secretary/Treasurer Gary Westerman