In partnership with the NZ Dental Association, the Wrigley Company Foundation has awarded $35,000 in grants to Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty’s communities to help them improve access to dental care.
Katherine Rich, chief executive, NZ Food & Grocery Council, greeted the initiative with warm approval.
“You can’t help but be impressed by Wrigley’s community participation. In 2014, the foundation’s grant recipients recruited volunteer dentists and dental therapists to treat 159 patients and educate 2120 adults and children in communities that really need help,” said Rich. “When you realise that about 44 percent of New Zealanders are not receiving any form of dental care, you can see that the foundation’s contribution will make a big difference.”
The Wrigley Company Foundation also operates across borders; nine Kiwi dental staff will be sent to Fiji to treat over 400 villagers, as part of the Island of Smiles Project that won Wrigley’s Pacific Region Dental Aid Grant.
