Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation donates refillable water stations at 61 schools
Students and staff returning to 15 Des Moines metro schools this fall discovered a new attraction in their school building — water bottle filling stations. The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation, through its Rethink Your Drink program, replaced water fountains in 61 Iowa schools this summer with the Elkay bottle filling stations, representing a total investment of $275,000. Delta Dental employees will also be volunteering in Des Moines schools to hand out prepackaged gifts for students including water bottles, toothbrushes and bookmarks. “When we implement health and wellness programs like Rethink Your Drink with Iowa schools, we know there is a significant impact,” said Jeff Russell, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Iowa. “Iowa students are drinking more water because of these filling stations, and staying hydrated helps them remain healthier.” In February, the foundation donated an initial round of water filling stations at 54 schools statewide.