Cosmetic Dentist in St. Louis One of Many Local Organizations Giving Back This Holiday Season

ST. LOUIS, Mo., Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Thanksgiving and winter holidays approaching rapidly, many people are looking for ways to give back. While there is no shortage of organizations accepting donations from now until the holiday season ends, there are a few ways you can give back to those in the St. Louis area.

One cosmetic dentist in St. Louis started their holiday drive early, collecting candy from young children who went trick-or-treating. The program, working as a part of Operation Gratitude, encouraged children to sell back their excess Halloween candy for $1 per pound to the cosmetic dentistry office. The candy was then sent in care packages to troops serving overseas. The St. Louis dentistry office collected more than 120 pounds of candy from children, and many people simply donated extra candy without asking for any cash in return.

"This program was started to teach kids the concept of giving back," Dr. Michael Frith, the St. Louis cosmetic dentist who owns Masterpiece Smiles, said. "In addition to the candy, we will be sending toothbrushes to the troops to counteract the effects of the candy."

Nate Noses, a high school junior in Wildwood, also took advantage of Halloween leftovers by rescuing pumpkins and turning them into pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread. He and his friends collected more than 1,000 pumpkins left to rot in a field and took them to L'ecole Culinaire where they were transformed into bread and pies. The sweet treats where then delivered the same day they were made, ensuring recipients would be content with the freshness of the baked goods.

If candy and pumpkins aren't really your style, several St. Louis charities are offering holiday cards that benefit various causes. Several charities in the area, including the Salvation Army, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Humane Society of Missouri, and Crime Victim Advocacy Center, are selling holiday cards that benefit their respective causes. But, no holiday season would be complete without seeing cheerful faces ringing bells beside those famous red buckets. The Salvation Army is reporting that more people are requesting aid from the organization than last year. In response, the Salvation Army has opened two additional toy shops and is hoping to raise nearly $2 million more than last Christmas season.

Masterpiece Smiles' digital marketing campaign is managed by 352 Media Group, a Web development and digital marketing firm that specializes in small business Web design.

Contact:
Amy Moczynski
+1-877-352-6334
[email protected]

SOURCE Masterpiece Smiles