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    AACD's Give Back A Smile(TM) program partners with national Donate-A-Phone campaign for national domestic violence awareness month

    Sept. 19, 2002
    Domestic abuse survivors will receive refurbished, donated phones (which are preprogrammed to dial 911) and free airtime minutes

    This October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry's(R) (AACD) Give Back A Smile(TM) (GBAS) program has begun a new partnership with the CTIA Wireless Foundation's Donate-A-Phone program to further benefit survivors of domestic violence. Donate-A-Phone is a national program that provides free wireless telephones to those in need, while generating additional resources for the AACD Charitable Foundation.

    "Our important partnership with the CTIA Wireless Foundation and the Donate-A-Phone campaign will generate increased resources that will allow the AACD to help survivors of domestic violence this October and beyond," commented AACD President Dr. Wynn Okuda of Honolulu, Hawaii.

    How Donate-A-Phone Works
    -- Survivors of domestic violence receive refurbished, donated phones and free airtime minutes through the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
    -- All of the phones are pre-programmed to dial 9-1-1 and one or two non-emergency numbers to enable a survivor of domestic violence to find help at any time, which provides added security and protection.

    Communities Can Help
    For every wireless phone that is donated to the program by an AACD member, the AACD Charitable Foundation will receive a contribution to help the Give Back A Smile program continue to rebuild survivors' smiles. This program encourages consumers to bring their old phone to a local AACD member's office as a charitable donation that may be tax deductible.

    In July 2001, the AACD was one of eight organizations in the world to receive the Award of Excellence and the prestigious Associations Advance America Summit Award for the GBAS program. The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), of Washington, D.C., sponsors this yearly national competition to recognize the charitable organizations that make the most effort to advance American society.

    For information regarding how doctors can participate in Give Back a Smile, visit www.aacd.com . Those interested in finding help with the Give Back a Smile program can also visit the Web site, call the National Hotline (800-773-GBAS), or send an e-mail to [email protected]. All wireless phone donations for the Give Back A Smile - Donate-A-Phone program can be made to the AACD Charitable Foundation, care of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, 5401 World Dairy Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53718-3900.