Lake Oconee Dentistry is located off Highway 44 in Greensboro, between the Publix parking lot and the movie theater.

Lake Oconee Dentistry is once again running a Halloween Pumpkin Decorating Contest among local school art departments to help celebrate the season, encourage creativity, and support local art programming.

“Dentistry is as much about art as it is about science,” said Dr. David Bradley, co-owner of Lake Oconee Dentistry. “What’s more, we have several team members who love to sketch, paint and craft. Supporting the arts is important to us, so this contest is a natural extension of that.”

At the beginning of October, the practice offered local art teachers up to two pumpkins for their students to carve or decorate. Pictures of the completed pumpkins will be posted on the Lake Oconee Dentistry Facebook page (www.facebook.com/lakeoconeedental) from Monday, Oct. 24 through Monday, Oct. 31. During that time, people are encouraged to visit the Facebook page and “like” their favorite pumpkin. The school pumpkin that receives the most likes by Oct. 31will receive $100 for the student decorators and $400 for the school’s art department, $500 in total. This year’s participating schools include Putnam County Primary School, Morgan County High School and Gatewood Lower School.

This is the third year the practice has held the contest, which was first held in 2020 when traditional Halloween celebrations had been scaled back due to Covid restrictions. The contest was so well received, the practice has since made it an annual event.

“We are really excited to once again showcase the talent and creativity of these students,” said Dr. Bradley. “This is one way we can help make a difference by encouraging student creativity and providing funds for additional art materials in the classroom.”