Campaign News

Press Releases

MAUI ORAL HEALTH CENTER RECEIVES $5,000 FROM LIFEGUARD CHARITABLE FUND

Gift will benefit Maui Community College's Center and Mobile Dental Van

"On Maui, access to dental care for low income families is difficult to find. On behalf of Lifeguard Charitable Fund, I salute the good work Maui Community College and the Oral Health Center are doing to fill that void."

(Wailuku, Maui) — Administrators at Maui Community College (MCC) and the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation have been notified of a $5,000 gift from the Lifeguard Charitable Fund. The donation will be utilized to purchase specialized digital x-ray equipment for the Maui Oral Health Center and its Mobile Dental Van.

"There is a strong correlation between overall health and dental health," said Lifeguard Charitable Fund President Mark Hyde. "The Maui Oral Health Center provides critical oral health services to people in need while providing training for MCC students pursuing a career in the dental profession."

"We are extremely grateful to Mark and the Lifeguard Foundation for their support," said MCC Chancellor Clyde Sakamoto. "Their gift will expand and extend services to those who are the most in need of oral care services in Maui County. Our faculty and college express our gratitude for this generous gift and precious encouragement."

The Maui Oral Health Center, which opened in 2002, provides general dental care and cleanings, fluoride supplements, dental sealants, x-rays, nutrition counseling and health screenings for low income families. It also serves as a classroom for MCC students enrolled in the Dental Assisting Program.

The Mobile Care Dental Van is a retrofitted 40-feet Airstream mobile unit equipped with two dental operatories, separate sterilization and patient intake space. The van travels throughout Maui to reach economically disadvantaged community members in need of dental services.

The Center is located at 752 Lower Main Street in Wailuku.

A student in the Maui Community College Dental Assisting Program works with a dental mannequin at the Maui Oral Health Center.

The Maui Oral Health Center is a collaborative project sponsored by the members of the Maui County Dental Health Alliance, Maui Community College, the County of Maui, Hui No Ke Ola Pono, and the Maui District Health Office (Department of Health). The Center serves as a classroom and clinical site for Maui Community's College Dental Assisting Program and aims to provide affordable and accessible oral/dental health care to the underserved, low-income, uninsured families of Maui.

The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation Mission: To unite our donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi's aspirations to benefit the people of Hawaiʻi and beyond. We do this by raising private philanthropic support, managing private investments and nurturing donor and alumni relationships. Please visit www.uhf.hawaii.edu.