FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Monica Meeks, StandUp Blue Springs
September 1, 2009 816-478-4500 or Executive@StandUpBlueSprings.org
IT’S TIARA TIME IN BLUE SPRINGS!
SIXTH ANNUAL PRINCESS PARTY TO BENEFIT DENTAL FOR KIDS PROGRAM
Tooth decay is currently the single most common chronic childhood disease—five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever, according to the Surgeon General. To create awareness about children’s dental health and raise funds for StandUp Blue Springs’ Dental for Kids program, the agency will host its sixth annual Princess Party featuring the Tooth Fairy.
Young ladies ages 2-12 will be the royal guests of honor at the Sixth Annual Princess Party, Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 12 – 4 p.m. at Valley View High School, 5000 NW Valley View Road in Blue Springs. Event organizers anticipate 600 little girls and adults will attend.
The cost to attend the Princess Party is $15 for children and $5 for each adult companion. The admission price includes 15 activities for $15, and includes a visit with special guest, the Tooth Fairy, the debut of Sparkle Smile Academy featuring the Royal Puppets, a Princess concert, crafts, magic show and more. Several optional activities cost an additional fee, and low-cost snacks will be sold.
All activities are offered with marketing and advertising sponsorship opportunities. The agency is also seeking the assistance of volunteer, civic or faith-based groups to “adopt” an activity, where its volunteers can work three-hour shifts to set-up, decorate, lead and tear-down individual activity rooms.
Tickets can be ordered in advance through the StandUp Blue Springs web site, www.StandUpBlueSprings.org, and can be purchased at the door. Discounts are available for online and advance purchases.
Dental for Kids provides free dental care to children and teens from low-income homes in the Blue Springs School District. “Since the program started in 2003, volunteer dentists in Eastern Jackson County have donated more than $300,000 in free dental care to more than 500 children,” says Executive Director Monica Meeks. “Many of the children in the program have extensive dental problems. Dental for Kids provides access to free dental care families could not otherwise afford.”
The Surgeon General has identified dental and oral diseases as “silent epidemics.” Left untreated, the pain and infection caused by tooth decay can lead to problems in eating, speaking and learning. Without proper dental care, children risk significant health problems later in life, including heart attack, stroke and diabetes.
Dental for Kids is a program of the local nonprofit agency, StandUp Blue Springs, which engages adults and teens in Eastern Jackson County in health, safety and community wellness programs. For more information about the Princess Party or the Dental for Kids program, call the StandUp Blue Springs office at 816-478-4500.
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