Muskegon, MI - April 5, 2004 << Return to Press Release Page For more information, call: Bob Chapla, Vice President, Development Community Foundation for Muskegon County Dental Society Creates Endowment Fund at Community Foundation Providing maximum exposure to good dental health for the residents of West Michigan is the purpose of the new Community Dental Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation for Muskegon County created by the Muskegon District Dental Society (MDDS). "We want to use this new Fund to benefit the largest number of people we can possibly reach," said John Mullally, DDS, chairperson of the committee which studied creation of the Muskegon District Dental Society Endowment Fund. "We're very pleased with the generosity of the dentists in our community, as well as others, who have helped us establish this new endowment. Disbursements from the endowment Fund, which now stands at almost $50,000, will begin when it reaches $100,000. Committee members are still in the process of forming grantmaking guidelines, but ultimately grants will be given for projects like public education programs and scholarships, said Mullally. We're interested in the very broadest scope possible," he said. "We want to impact as many people as we can." As an example of the types of programs the organization would be interested in supporting he used a potential campaign to increase the knowledge of the benefits of fluoride in outlying areas which do not already have fluoridated water. "We've been thinking about doing this for several years now," said Connie Verhagen, DDS, a Muskegon pediatric dentist and executive director of the MDDS. "We continue to see many critical dental needs in the community. We hope maybe we can provide some funding for preventative programs and tackle these issues a bit." CFMC President Chris A. McGuigan noted that by establishing this endowment Fund the Dental Society provides an excellent example of the CFMC motto "For Good. For Ever." "We applaud the vision of the Muskegon District Dental Society," McGuigan said. "This Fund will support dental education services and needs for our community for generations to come." The MDDS is comprised of approximately 85 active members, most from Muskegon County though there are also several members from Fremont and Grand Haven, Verhagen said. The Community Foundation for Muskegon County was created in 1961 to improve the quality of life for Muskegon County residents. As a publicly-supported community endowment, the Foundation receives and manages contributions from community citizens and organizations who are committed to the future of Muskegon County. << Return to Press Release Page