LONG ISLAND, NY – On Friday, February 6, Garden City’s Cradle of Aviation Museum was packed to the rafters with a gaggle of children as part of the 12th annual Nassau County Dental Society (NCDS) “Give Kids A Smile” event, which promotes the benefits of dental care for youngsters who otherwise might not have access to it.
Joseph Brofsky Co-Chair of NCDS event, said that “Give Kids A Smile” is a national endeavor aimed at children from disenfranchised areas who may have never seen a dentist at all in their short lifetimes. The event took place on February 6 at venues from coast-to-coast; however, Garden City lays claim to the title of the biggest of them all, Brofsky said.
On Friday, February 6, Cradle of Aviation in Garden City was packed to the rafters with a gaggle of children as part of the 12th annual Nassau County Dental Society (NCDS) Give Kids A Smile. Kids were thrilled to see Ronald McDonald who left goodie bags including a certificate from McDonald’s for a free Happy Meal.
On Friday, February 6, 2015, the national dental awareness event Give Kids A Smile drew over 1,600 to Garden City’s Cradle of Aviation Museum.
“There’s about 2,000 events put on by Dental Societies across America today for Give Kids A Smile, and this is the number-one venue in the country. Today we’re expecting a turnout of over 1,600 children,” he said. “Children are bused in from under-privileged areas on Long Island; some of them have never been to a museum or a dentist. We provide them with a tour of the Cradle of Aviation as well as dental checkups and, if needed, follow-up care.”
Over 100 volunteer dentists were set up at stations on the Cradle’s second floor, providing check-ups, cleanings, and fluoride treatments, temporary fillings, and general dental advice to tykes from all over Long Island; in addition, there were 350 student volunteers from high schools such as Long Beach, Lynbrook, Freeport, Farmingdale, and more, each of whom helped chaperone and manage the large throngs of kiddies present.
On Friday, February 6, 2015, the national dental awareness event Give Kids A Smile drew over 1,600 to Garden City’s Cradle of Aviation Museum.
On Friday, February 6, Cradle of Aviation in Garden City was packed to the rafters with a gaggle of children as part of the 12th annual Nassau County Dental Society (NCDS) Give Kids A Smile.
However, the NCDS also receives a great deal of help from a variety of other organizations; in addition to receiving donated dental supplies from Henry Schein Dental of New York, mascots and representatives from popular local sports teams such as the NY Islanders and the NY Mets were present to entertain the kids waiting for their checkups; however one certain clown clearly was the star of the show for these youngsters, Brofsky said.
“Ronald McDonald is a big star here with the kids…in fact, he’s the most popular character we have here today. The kids love him,” he said. “And Long Island McDonald’s has been tremendously helpful to us. They’re doing some wonderful work for the children of Long Island.”
On Friday, February 6, Cradle of Aviation in Garden City was packed to the rafters with a gaggle of children as part of the 12th annual Nassau County Dental Society (NCDS) Give Kids A Smile.
Posing for the camera are (L to R) Joseph Brofsky, Co-Chair of the Nassau County Dental Society’s “Give Kids A Smile” event, and Luciana Montuoro, LI McDonald’s Marketing & Public Relations Director, Friday, February 6, 2015, at Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.
Luciana Montuoro, LI McDonald’s Marketing & Public Relations Director, said that getting involved in the “Give Kids A Smile” event is just their way of continuing their tradition of giving back to the community; and the success of their involvement has enabled McDonald’s to extend their backing of this important cause to other areas of Long Island as well, she said.
“Long Island McDonald’s has been supporting Give Kids A Smile at this event for five years now, and each year it’s gown and grown,” she said. “They bus in children from all areas of Nassau and Suffolk County to get free checkups. And based on the success of this event, McDonald’s has also begun attending the Give Kids A Smile event held in Stony Brook University’s School of Dentistry and Farmingdale College as well.”
On Friday, February 6, 2015, children from all areas of Nassau and Suffolk County were bused in for free checkups. Kids were thrilled to see Ronald McDonald who left goodie bags including a certificate from McDonald’s for a free Happy Meal.
On Friday, February 6, Cradle of Aviation in Garden City was packed to the rafters with a gaggle of children as part of the 12th annual Nassau County Dental Society (NCDS) Give Kids A Smile.
Montuoro noted that the inclusion of the one-and-only Ronald McDonald at the Give Kids A Smile events serves two very important purposes.
“First, the kids are thrilled to see Ronald, but he also puts them at ease because they are nervous about getting a checkup,” she said. “And, after their checkup, each kid gets a goodie bag and we include a certificate from McDonald’s for a free Happy Meal.”
On Friday, February 6, Cradle of Aviation in Garden City was packed to the rafters with a gaggle of children as part of the 12th annual Nassau County Dental Society (NCDS) Give Kids A Smile.
On Friday, February 6, 2015, the national dental awareness event Give Kids A Smile drew over 1,600 to Garden City’s Cradle of Aviation Museum.
The Cradle of Aviation was abuzz with activity that day, with the mammoth lobby transformed into a jubilant waiting room of sorts, complete with chairs, music, snacks, and video screens everywhere you looked. Also, kids got free tours of the museum while they were waiting to have their teeth looked over by one of the many volunteers present.
Seven year-old Devon was indeed a bit apprehensive about going in for his check-up; however, with some encouragement from Ronald McDonald – and the promise of a Happy Meal to come – he soon found the courage to go in for a quick exam.
On Friday, February 6, 2015, the national dental awareness event Give Kids A Smile drew over 1,600 to Garden City’s Cradle of Aviation Museum.
On Friday, February 6, Cradle of Aviation in Garden City was packed to the rafters with a gaggle of children as part of the 12th annual Nassau County Dental Society (NCDS) Give Kids A Smile.
“The dentist told me I had good teeth,” he said. “I really liked that they gave me a checkup and made sure that I’ve been brushing right. And I really can’t wait to get a cheeseburger Happy Meal when I get home later!”
