News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 14, 2003
For more information, contact: Virginia Elliott, Senior Program Officer
620-662-8586

City of Leavenworth Awarded Project of the Year

HUTCHINSON, KS--The work of a volunteer coalition of Leavenworth citizens to promote community water fluoridation for oral health was recognized in selecting the City of Leavenworth as the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund's Janet Sevier Gilbreath 2002 Special Project of the Year.

The project, which received grants of $233,500 to plan and implement the addition of tooth decay-preventing fluoride to Leavenworth's water system, was selected from more than 150 grant projects.

The award was announced in a ceremony in Hutchinson today with Trustees of the Health Ministry Fund, members of the Janet Sevier Gilbreath family, and representatives of the Leavenworth project.

"Each year, in memory of our first Chairperson-Janet Sevier Gilbreath-we recognize one project that exemplifies the highest standards of nonprofit work in health," said (Mr.) Kim Moore, president of the Health Ministry Fund, in announcing the award.

He cited Leavenworth's accomplishment of goals, volunteer and community support, and sound financial and business practices. Members of the coalition, he said, worked tirelessly to explain the oral health benefits of water fluoridation, taking the issue to the City Council and even walking door-to-door to provide information to residents.

Leavenworth voters overwhelmingly endorsed water fluoridation in the November 2001 election. Fluoridated water was implemented for Leavenworth residents in September of last year.

The water system serves nearly 45,000 residents and 7,000 students in elementary, middle, and high schools.

Community water fluoridation is recognized as one of the top ten public health achievements of the last century by the Centers for Disease Control. Moore added that water fluoridation is widely supported as the most effective, most efficient method of preventing tooth decay.

The Health Ministry Fund is a Kansas philanthropy dedicated to health. It was endowed by the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1986 with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. The Fund makes grants for health-related projects totaling approximately $2.5 million a year. Efforts to improve oral health have been a high priority of the Health Ministry Fund since 1998. More than $2.6 million has been awarded to 112 Kansas projects working to improve prevention efforts in oral health and access to dental services.

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