LAKEVIEW— The dentists at Belmont Dental Care on North Lincoln Avenue want your kid's candy.
But it's all for a good cause, they promise.
The dentists launched a Halloween-centric "Cash for Candy" program; for every pound of candy a kid brings in, she gets $5 dollars cash, and the dentists will make a $50 donation to the Lakeview Pantry.
"The truth is, the kids don't need all that candy," said Joe Nguyen, a dentist who's been working at Belmont Dental Care for 11 years. "Moderation, right? Some is okay, but not a lot."
Gary Garland, director of the Lakeview Pantry, said Belmont Dental Care has been a longtime supporter.
"It's great to see them come up with a creative way to get kids involved," said Garland. "Kids sometimes don't know that there are other kids around them who are hungry. This may open their eyes."
Garland said that every dollar donated to the pantry translated to 10 pounds of food to stock the shelves. Nguyen said Belmont Dental Care would make the donation at the end of the "Cash for Candy" campaign on Nov. 9
Beyond the donation, Nguyen said the program offered dentists a prime opportunity to give kids a "healthy dose of education." In addition to the cash, children who donate snag some serious dentist-worthy swag: a new toothbrush, tooth paste, and floss.
The office secretary, Janet Betancourt, 22, said this was the first year they're offering the cash incentive for kids.
"It's just more appropriate that we're taking some of the candy off the streets, instead of putting more into the kids' hands," said Betancourt, adding that the office was considering shipping the donated candy to the troops overseas.
"As long as they have good dental health," she joked.
Check out the program advertised on the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce website.
