Several Local Schools Win New Water Bottle Filling Stations in Water’s Cool at School Campaign

Kids in several schools across Michigan’s Great Southwest will be able to tap new water fountain bottle filling stations outside of their classrooms thanks to a major gift from the Delta Dental Foundation and the Michigan Education Special Services Association who are working together for a healthier student population.

In total sixty-one schools across Michigan will soon receive the new water fountain bottle filling stations, thanks to $200,000 in funding from the two organizations. In all, 95 water fountain bottle filling stations will be installed. Local schools included in the program are:

Bangor High School in Bangor
Eau Claire High School in Eau Claire
International Academy at Hull, Benton Harbor
Ottawa Elementary School, Buchanan
Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High School, Cassopolis

The schools are winners of MESSA and DDF’s “Rethink Your Drink: Water’s Cool at School program,” designed to encourage children to drink more water during the school day.

Teri Battaglieri is Director of the Delta Dental Foundation, and says, “Drinking water throughout the school day is key to staying focused and energized.” Battaglieri adds, “Not only are sugar-sweetened beverages like pop and juice drinks bad for your teeth, they can contribute to other health issues such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes. We want more students to have access to drinking water during the day so they can keep their teeth and bodies strong and healthy.”

MESSA Executive Director Ross Wilson says, “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Delta Dental Foundation on this important program. MESSA is committed to supporting education employees as they look to improve their own health while modeling good examples for their students.”

Winning schools will have old drinking fountains replaced with Elkay water fountain bottle filling stations by Oak Park-based Balfrey & Johnston. The winners will also receive reusable water bottles for students and staff.

More than 600 schools applied for the program, and winners were selected based on several criteria, including age and condition of their current drinking fountains, creativity of their applications, percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, and geographic location.

The Water’s Cool at School program was piloted at Okemos Public Montessori at Central in September 2016. Within the first month, students increased their water consumption and saved more than 2,200 empty water bottles from going into a landfill.

The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980, which serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. The Foundation is dedicated to improving the oral health of the public and to advancing dental science through education and research. For more information, you can visit www.deltadentalmi.com.

MESSA is a not-for-profit membership association that provides health and ancillary benefit plans to teachers, education support professionals, school administrators and higher education employees throughout Michigan. MESSA places a strong emphasis on member education, wellness and preventive care to reduce the cost of health care while supporting its members’ good health. More information is available at messa.org.

Here is the full list of the 2018 “Rethink Your Drink” winners: