October, here in the Pediatric Dentistry of Reston, comes with exciting activities with the staff and our patients! It is a month full of creativity and excitement!
Annual Staff Pumpkin Contest
Among the activities that include our staff and patients, is our Annual Staff Pumpkin Contest! Every year each staff member decorates a pumpkin with a theme or character in mind. The pumpkins are displayed throughout the entire month of October and patients and their families vote for their favorite by casting their vote. The only rule is that we are not allowed to tell the patients which pumpkin belongs to which staff member. Each year, we up the ante and the staff become more competitive for their shot to win the coveted title as WINNER of the Staff Pumpkin Contest to win bragging rights along with prizes! We’ve had pumpkins decorated as Baymax, Dory, Olaf, and Frankenstein. Patients, every year, look forward to the pumpkins and have a hard time picking which one they like the best. We are pumped to see who wins this year! You can be a part of the fun too—VOTE VOTE VOTE!
Fun Staff Costumes
Halloween every year also comes with its share of excitement because the staff dresses up in costume. No one is too old! Last year, the staff dressed up as super heroes and Dr. Neda dressed up as a villain. You would never believe that Katniss Everdeen was making appointments while Wonder Woman was assisting Maleficent in treatment, and Superman was cleaning patients’ teeth. It was like being in an alternate dimension.
Candy Buy Back To Benefit Wounded Warriors
And as if that wasn’t enough—after Halloween, we have a Candy Buy Back where patients can bring their unopened Halloween candy in exchange for cash ($1 per 1lb)! We have some patients bring in hundreds of pounds of unopened candy. Which assures us that they will be cavity-free AND a lot of soldiers will be able to satisfy their sweet tooth! This year we have chosen to give all of our donated candy to Wounded Warriors (www.woundedwarriorpoject.org)!
Collectively, we chose to honor and give to the veterans injured during the line of duty and their families. The candy will be given to veterans and families during their annual Thanksgiving celebration to thank them for their service and bring some joy this season. Along with the donated candy, monetary funds will be donated to Relief International’s Project Turquoise (www.ri.org) to benefit Syrian refugees and their families. Dr. Neda recently visited the refugee camp on their first mission in Syria to serve the children and young adults in their dental needs. No matter what you give at our Candy Buy Back, it will go in the right hands!
With all the fun October brings—you won’t want to miss what we do next! So we’ll keep you updated and YOU can join in the fun this holiday season!