DAYTON — Midmark Corp., a leading provider of medical, dental and veterinary equipment, technology and services, has congratulated Kansas City Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt for becoming the football team’s nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. He was chosen primarily for his work with TeamSmile, a dental care advocacy group Midmark supports.
TeamSmile is the nation’s premier advocacy group that partners oral health professionals with professional athletic organizations to provide life-changing dental care to underserved children throughout the United States. Midmark works closely with the organization and supports its efforts through monetary and equipment donations, including Midmark sterilizers to maximize infection control. Midmark teammates also volunteer at numerous TeamSmile events throughout the year.
Eric Shirley, chief commercial officer of Midmark, currently serves on the board of directors of TeamSmile, alongside Colquitt.
“Dustin Colquitt has contributed a tremendous amount of time, passion and financial resources to help serve at-risk children through TeamSmile. We are glad that he is getting the recognition he deserves for his ability on the field and his chartable commitment off the field,” said Shirley. “We are proud to partner with him and TeamSmile to provide life-changing dental care to underserved children. Getting these children to understand the importance of oral care and to provide that initial care sets them on the path for a lifetime of good dental care habits and long-lasting oral health.”
Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s fourth annual Charity Challenge, a campaign designed to support and promote team nominees. They can vote by using #WPMOYChallenge on Twitter with Colquitt’s last name somewhere in the post between until Jan. 13. The player whose unique hashtag is used the most will receive a $25,000 contribution to the charity of his choice, courtesy of Nationwide. Hashtag information and official rules can be found at NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.
The mission of TeamSmile (www.teamsmile.org) is to provide free dental care and oral health education to underserved children and to use the power of sports to provide a special lifetime experience to these children. To date, TeamSmile has served more than 30,000 children, provided more than $17 million in free dental care and oral health education and conducted more than 160 programs nationwide. The first program was started with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in 2007.
