In an ongoing effort to aid in reducing the spread of germs at common touch points, the Dental Dental of Iowa Foundation has announced the investment of just over $290,000 in touch-free water bottle filling stations for Iowa schools. Three of the 90 schools selected are local and include the Glidden-Ralston High School, South Central Calhoun Middle School in Rockwell City and the Panorama Elementary School in Panora. These schools will receive a free Elkway water bottle filling station through the Rethink Your Drink program that has to date provided 375 filling stations, impacting 184,400 students and staff with a total overall investment of just shy of $1.64 million. “As many schools were forced to shut off water fountains due to COVID-19 precautions, water bottle filling stations became an essential hydration tool,” says Jeff Russell, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Iowa. “Rethink Your Drink provides a visible and meaningful way to directly impact the oral and overall health of Iowans.” Priority has been given to schools with a higher percentage of free and reduced lunches in the district and buildings that did not already have a water bottle filling station.
