Dental Volunteers Schein

MELVILLE, New York--Dental Volunteers for Israel has honored four people who have helped support the organization.To read more about DVI, go to DVI.Honorees are Steve Kess, vice president of global professional relations for Henry Schein; Dr. Allen Helfer, president of the American Friends of DVI; Ran Tuttnauer, CEO of Tuttnauer and a member of the DVI Board; and Dr. Nedal Alayyan, named DVI Volunteer of the Year.DVI, which is celebrating 30 years of providing oral health care services to underserved families in Jerusalem, regardless of background, recognized the individuals at its New York gala held in November 2010 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City.Among the speakers at the 30th anniversary gala event were Ambassador Meron Reuben, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations and to Columbia, and Stanley M. Bergman, Henry Schein's chairman and chief executive officer. Bergman delivered the evening's keynote address.In remembering the late Trudi Birger, founder of DVI, Bergman said,: "Trudi was a humanitarian, a visionary, and an entrepreneur. She realized that a healthy smile enables a child to eat, sleep, study ,and grow up without the distraction of pain associated with poor oral health. Now in its 30th year, the energy of the DVI program continues to grow, as evidenced by the letters of praise and support the organization receives every day from volunteers of all walks of life, in every dental specialty, and from all over the world. The dedication of over 4,500 volunteer dentists who have helped countless children in Jerusalem speaks volumes about Trudi, her continuing legacy and the transformative impact that her spirit continues to have on others." DVI's Trudi Birger Dental Clinic is the only free facility of its kind in Jerusalem. Children in need from all religious and ethnic groups are treated at the clinic, and every child who comes to the Clinic participates in an oral health education session with his or her family to promote improved oral hygiene for life. Since its founding, the clinic has treated more than 20,000 children. In 2009, the clinic provided 13,411 treatments for 3,353 children with the help of its staff and 141 volunteer dentists. Historically, 95% of DVI's budget has been paid for by charitable donations. In addition to Bergman's commitment, Henry Schein's financial, product, and marketing support of DVI for the past 13 years has been driven by Kess through Henry Schein Cares--the company's global corporate social responsibility program. The evening's program concluded with the presentation of DVI Volunteer of the Year to Dr. Nedal Alayyan, an Arab dentist. During his address, Dr. Alayyan recounted his experience as a child growing up in Jerusalem and being treated at the DVI clinic. Inspired by that early experience, Dr. Alayyan became a dentist himself and now gives back to today's children of Jerusalem through DVI. Dr. Alayyan's remarks are available on the DVI Web site americanfriendsofdvi.org/index.php.To comment on this subject, go to community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/.