HOPE — Beryl Henry Elementary School will receive a water bottle filling station as the winner of a competitive grant application process funded through the Rethink Your Drink: Choose Water program.

The announcement of the award was made by Healthy Active Arkansas (HAA) in collaboration with Delta Dental of Arkansas through the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation. 

“We are grateful to Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation for allowing us to offer this opportunity to Beryl Henry Elementary School, and we look forward to seeing Beryl Henry Elementary succeed in their efforts,” Troy Wells, HAA Board President and Baptist Health CEO, said in the announcement.

The program is intended to encourage students, teachers and staff on campus at BHE to drink water instead of carbonated or sugary drinks.

“We are excited at Beryl Henry Elementary to be receiving a water bottle filling station for our school,” BHE Principal Dr. Roy Turner said. “It will provide an opportunity for our BHE family to receive crisp and clean-tasting water.”

Dr. Turner said the award fits into the health and wellness plan for the campus which recognizes the cognitive function and energy benefits of fresh water.

“I am looking forward to the students’ reactions and their conversations about the water station with teachers,” he said.

The device will replace a current open stream water fountain in the campus main building. The grant application for the device was written through the Bobcat Clinic, the school-based health clinic for the Hope Public Schools located on the Hope High School campus.

“On behalf of the Beryl Henry Elementary family, we would like to thank Gretchen Carlton (Bobcat Clinic Coordinator) for making it possible for us to receive the water bottle filling station by writing the grant for our school,” Turner said. “Also, we would like to thank Healthy Active Arkansas and Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation for this wonderful gift.”

The device is expected to be installed in the BHE main building prior to the start of the 2020-2021 school year.

The grant is part of a $500,000 program of awards through Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation to 21 organizations during 2020 as part of the DDAF Community Grant Program.