Home » Dental Articles » The Trick is on the Dentist-Kids are selling back their candy faster than he can keep money in the drawer.
The Trick is on the Dentist-Kids are selling back their candy faster than he can keep money in the drawer.
Layton, Utah dentist Terry Preece bought back over 650 pounds of trick-or-treat candy during his week-long Halloween Candy Buy-Back ealier this month. The Layton Hills Healthy Smile Center will donate the candy to the Festival of Trees for non-edible purposes to benefit Primary Children's hospital.
/Dental PR News/ - LAYTON, UT, November 23, 2005 - Layton-Dentist Dr. Terry Preece may be in for more than he bargained for. Kids of all ages are coming out of the woodwork to sell their candy back for two dollars per pound.
Dr. Preece hoped to buy-back about 100 pounds of candy throughout the first week of November. After the day-care center, a father and his six boys, one 12 year-old with a pillow sack bursting with 15 pounds of candy, and numerous others, Dr. Preece is now the proud owner of over 200 pounds of candy-and there are still three more days to go.
"This is great!" said Preece, "Although I had no idea kids would be so willing to part with their candy, it's nice to see their smiles when they see how much money they will be paid."
Some kids are saving their money "to buy something cool", but one 10 year-old girl is adding her candy cash to her college fund. One mother of three children under the age of six went to the dollar store afterwards-the children practically buckled themselves into their car seats.
At least two diabetic children came in eager that they finally had another option for their trick-or-treating candy besides tossing it in the garbage.
"I still want to dress up and go trick-or-treating," one girl said, "but I can't eat the candy after. It always made me feel weird when I didn't have candy in my lunch after Halloween, but now I can show them my money!"
The buy-back may also help children who just plain do not like candy.
"I don't know why," said 10 year-old Alexis Thomas, "I've just never liked candy. But I like trick-or-treating!"
Perhaps the most surprising story of the day was two brothers who came in an hour apart. Mom brought in the younger brother because he asked. He swapped his sweets and returned home. An hour later mom brought in a sheepish looking 12 year-old. Dr. Preece asked the boy why he did not come in with his brother.
"Because I didn't believe he would actually get any money," he said, "but then he came home with nine bucks-and I have way more candy than he does!.
Karen Wescott, Layton Hills Healthy Smile Center Office Manager, said the sheer amount of candy was overwhelming.
"We were in the back trying to find a place for it all!" she said. "The kids just kept coming and at the end of the day, our three big laundry bins were barely big enough for all the candy."
All of the candy will be donated to the Primary Children's Hospital Festival of Trees at the South Towne Expo Center. Non-edible gingerbread houses and other festive, but non-edible, decorations will be created out of the Halloween candy collected by the Healthy Smile Center. All proceeds will go to Primary Children's Hospital.
Most of the kids said they still had "the good stuff" at home, but most parents said it was only about 10 pieces.
"It was her idea," said one mother. "She went into her room, picked out a handful of candy, and came back to me and said she wanted to sell the rest back to that dentist."
Preece is happy to see that other things are more important to kids than candy, even if it means keeping people out of his dental chair.
"College, cars, missions, special toys, it's wonderful to see kids with a goal," Preece said. "I guess I underestimated the kids in this community, but I don't think I've ever been happier to be proven wrong."
The trick-or-treat candy buy-back will continue daily through Friday, November 4 from 2 to 5:30 p.m. The Layton Hills Healthy Smile Center requires all candy to be un-opened and no non-candy items will be accepted. The Healthy Smile Center is located at 2152 North Hill Field Rd. Suite 2. For more information, parents can call the office at 776-3300. |
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FURTHER RELATED RESOURCES:
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Press Release Contact Information:
Anna Young
Layton Hills Healthy Smile Cente
Media Contact
2152 North Hill Field Rd. Suite 2
Layton, Utah
USA 84041
Voice: 801-776-3300
Website: Visit Our Website |
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