SANFORD — Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) has been awardedrna $296,809 grant by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust ofrnWinston-Salem, CCCC President Matt Garrett said today. Garrett and hisrnstaff have been working closely with Lee County Public Health to creaternthe Central Carolina Dental Center. The Center, located at the historicrnW. B. Wicker School on Vance Street, will house CCCC’s new DentalrnHygiene and Dental Assisting curriculum programs, as well as PublicrnHealth’s dental services.

“This grant willrnhelp us purchase some of the major equipment needed for the DentalrnCenter and will help offset the College’s program costs over the firstrntwo years,” Garrett said. The College and Lee County Public Healthrnbegan working together last spring to bring dental education and healthrnservices together in the newly renovated W. B. Wicker School as part ofrna community revitalization effort spearheaded by the Brick CapitalrnCommunity Development Corporation.

Accordingrnto Public Health Director Michael Hanes, “The Kate B. ReynoldsrnCharitable Trust helped us start our children’s dental project sixrnyears ago, and now with this grant to the College, they are helping usrnexpand services in Lee and the surrounding counties.” CCCC studentsrnwill gain experience working in a public health dental practice whilernpatients, regardless of age, county of residence or ability to pay,rnwill receive free or low-cost oral health services.

LeernCounty Public Health will move existing dental operations to the W. B.rnWicker School site within the next few weeks and expand servicesrngradually over the coming months. At the same time, CCCC will preparernto begin a Dental Assisting Diploma program in the spring of 2007 and arntwo-year Associate in Science Degree program in Dental Hygiene thatrnfall.

“We are so excited about thisrnproject,” Garrett said. “Our students will get to attend a high-qualityrneducational program that will lead to a great-paying career. Arearndentists will get a local supply of highly-qualified hygienists andrnassistants. And patients will get desperately-needed dental services.”rnGarrett also said the partnership between the College and Public Healthrnwill allow both to reduce costs by sharing resources. “This is arnwin-win proposition all the way around, and we are so happy that thernfolks at Kate B. Reynolds have decided to help us get it off thernground.”

The Kate B. Reynolds CharitablernTrust was created in 1947 by the will of Mrs. William N. Reynolds ofrnWinston-Salem. Three-fourths of the Trust’s grants are designated forrnuse for health-related programs and services across North Carolina andrnone-fourth for the poor and needy of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.