SENDING SOME SWEETNESS OVERSEAS
Wellesley Dental Group organizes 6th annual community-wide Candy Drive
WELLESLEY, MASS. (Sept. 25, 2013) – It all started with local dentists, Drs. Ali & Ali, asking their young patients to donate their excessive Halloween candy in exchange for $1 to protect their teeth. Today, this gesture has grown into a community-wide effort involving schools, the police department, local organizations, retailers and neighboring towns who collect and donate extra Halloween candy and write notes of thanks to U.S. troops overseas.
“Our community is too generous. Kids come home with pillowcases full of candy. We’re all for celebrating the holiday, but no one needs that much candy,” said Dr. Femina Ali, of Wellesley Dental Group. “But for our troops, who are so far away, M&Ms and the handwritten cards children send are a little treat that remind them of home.”
Each year the drive gets bigger and bigger. Last year, Wellesley Dental Group collected a “wall of candy which weighed 5260 pounds,” explains Dr. Ali. “This year we’ll kick-off the drive with a Costume party on the day before Halloween on October 30th from 4-6 p.m. at our office with food, games, prizes and toothbrushes. Everyone is welcome.”
Wellesley Dental Group will accept candy donations from Nov. 1 through Nov. 8 and hold a press event on Nov. 8th at 10 a.m., which is open to the community, before they send the candy off in a U-Haul. CarePacks, a non-profit organization that sends care packages to troops overseas, will package up the candy and cards.
About Wellesley Dental Group
Established in 1997 by Drs. Femina and Ejaz Ali, Wellesley Dental is a family-run dental practice that provides state-of-the-art, high quality oral care in a friendly and caring environment. For more information, visit www.wellesleydentalgroup.com.
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To schedule a candy drop-off between November 1 and November 8 at Wellesley Dental Group, located at 5 Seaward Road in Wellesley, Mass., please call 781.237.9071 or e-mail smile@wellesleydentalgroup.com
