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Yorktown Dentist Aims to Send Smiles Overseas

YORKTOWN, N.Y.— For those who have a sweet spot in their heart but don’t want a cavity, Dr. Ben Dancygier has an alternative for Halloween.

Dancygier, of Valley Pediatrics, celebrated his tenth year of the office this week, but is also celebrating the office’s fourth year of participating with Operation Support Our Troops. The project undertaken by the office as well as many other offices around the nation collects candy to be sent in care packages to soldiers overseas.

The motivation is two-fold for Dancygier, he said. It allows him to promote good nutrition in the physical and dental sense for kids, and also help children help soldiers overseas.

“A little bit of candy can go along way,” Dancygier said. “It’s two fold. We’re sending candy overseas to help out soldiers so they can enjoy it or share it with the people there, and we’re also teaching the children here values about candy in moderation, and also how to help others. It’s a win-win for us.”

Over the years, office manager Ashley Kovacs said they’ve seen huge increases in the people who bring candy. “When it just started we had a great and surprising turnout, but it’s gotten huge over the years,” Kovacs said. “Last year we had a ton, literally, a ton of candy that we had taken away in a u-haul.”

The dentist said while they offer $1 per pound to children who donate candy as motivation, they receives bags and bags of candy from others who are just willing to drop their candy off, whether they use him as a dentist or not. That good will is heartwarming he said.

“They are helping themselves, and helping others,” Dancygier said. “It’s great to be a part of something like this, to help our own community and to be the drop off, and kind of the focal point to help others.”

The candy buy-back to benefit Operation Support Our Troops goes from November 1 to November 8.

 

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