Make a sweetsale - Carolina Weekly Newspapers

Dentist
(continued from page 1)
This Halloween, dentist Smita Warrier
of Ballantyne’s Warrier Family Dentistry
is taking some of that fear out of the year’s
spookiest holiday by offering kids cash for
their unwanted – or unneeded – loot. On
Monday, Nov. 2, from 4 to 6 p.m., children
can sell their candy at Warrier Family
Dentistry, 16143 Lancaster Highway,
for $1 per pound – and also put smiles
on the faces of U.S. troops overseas. After
the family-friendly event, Warrier Family
Dentistry will send the candy, along with
toothbrushes, dental floss and mouthwash,
to Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit
that assembles and distributes care packages
for troops.
Deciding what to do with the surplus
candy was easy, Warrier said. “(Military
service is) something that takes a lot of
courage,” she said. “They work way too
hard yearlong, and this is our way of saying
thank you.” Yet she noted that the
sweetest gifts the troops receive might not
be the candy.
“We’re planning to have cards here so
that they children can write thank-you
notes to the soldiers,” she said. “That way
we’ll know that somewhere, someone will
be smiling.”
The cost of sending the donations and
cards will be covered by Atlanta Dental,
Warrier Family Dental’s supply company.
Several Ballantyne-area businesses also
stepped up to ensure the event is as much
fun for parents as it is for children, office
manager Lori Biscardi added. Lorenzo’s
Pizzeria, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Zapata’s
Mexican Restaurant, Rising Roll Gourmet
and Posh Nails & Spa donated gift
certificates for a raffle, and there also
will be a chance to win one of two Oral
B Professional Care Power toothbrushes
toward dental work at Warrier Family
Dentistry. Bagel Bin & Deli II, Dunkin’
Donuts, Panera Bread and Starbucks will
donate food and beverages to the event.
Since this is the first time she’s hosted
an event like this, Warrier said she doesn’t
have a clue how much candy she’ll collect
– but the more the better, she added.
She said she’ll shell out cash as long as
the kids arrive with candy to sell.
As an extra thank-you to the children,
Warrier Family Dentistry will give away
goody bags stocked with Dr. Fresh Firefly
toothbrushes that light up for 60 seconds,
the dentist-recommended time for
brushing each arch; gift certificates for
sandwiches at Ballantyne’s Sticky Fingers
RibHouse; toothpaste; floss and Lance
crackers.
Warrier and Biscardi, dental assistant
Rasheka McQueary and hygienist Carolyn
Shelton plan to make the event – inspired
by a similar event Warrier read about in a
dental magazine – an annual tradition.
“It sounded like a lot of fun, and
Education
something that we could do to help give
back to the community. A lot of parents
say their children receive way too much
candy.
They really don’t need it or even eat
all of it,” she said. “This is a good way
to keep kids healthier while giving them
the chance to be part of (an event) that
donates to a good cause.
“It makes the children feel like they’re
doing something good, and they’re also
getting something in return. So it’s a winwin
situation.” q
For more information, visit www.
warrierdentistry.com.
Politics
(continued from page 18)
what they stand for in person, rather than on
TV or on the radio,” he explained.
Although their goal – to raise awareness
of the issues and inspire students to take
an interest in politics – was shared, Phelan
and Blumenthal hoped to hear candidates
address different issues.
Blumethal said he’s most interested in
issues that affect the arts and the environment;
Phelan said job creation and attracting
companies to Charlotte are his chief issues.
They agree that improving transportation is
a top priority, especially with the addition of
the LYNX light-rail system, Blumethal said.
“I live down Providence Road and see the
congestion every day. Widening Providence
Road and … (the fact that Interstate) 485
hasn’t even been completed yet are hotbutton
issues right now,” Phelan added.
Encouraging students to become
invested in the issues today will make for a
better tomorrow, Blumenthal said. “Maybe
when you’re younger you don’t realize it,
but … the arts, freedoms, whether or not
your parents feel safe letting you ride your
bike around the city, those issues are in
many ways more important and will affect
us more than some of the larger issues that
get more discussion.”
Uniting their schoolmates and teachers
(more on page 20)
When nearly 2,000 kids
drop out of school every year, we fail too.
educate Connecting at-risk students to the resources and relationships they need to be successful
in school. collaborate Developing partnerships with every sector of the community to support our
schools. graduate Making every effort to ensure that each child in our community graduates from
high school – empowering them for a lifetime of success.
601 E. 5th Street, Suite 300, Charlotte NC 28202 t. 704.335.0601 f. 704.335.0697
Find out how you can help kids stay in school. Visit www.cischarlotte.org.
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South Charlotte Weekly • Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2009 • Page 19