Got Candy? Halloween is over ... and I'm sure there are many families out there with way too much candy... want to get rid of some of it and make a difference at the same time!
Children from across America have a chance to once again make a difference in a service member's life by locating a dentist who is participating in the annual Halloween Candy Buy Back. For the fourth year in a row, hundreds of dentists throughout the United States are teaming up with Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization dedicated to sending care packages to troops overseas.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
After Halloween, dentists purchase the unopened candy from young trick-or-treaters for $1 per pound. Once these dentists have collected the candy, they ship it to Operation Gratitude to fill up thousands of care packages for the troops. For troop safety, Operation Gratitude works from the Army National Guard armory in Van Nuys, California to assemble the packages. Once completed, they are sent to service members overseas.
"We still have 180,000 troops deployed in harm's way. Receiving packages from home, especially during the holidays, is a huge morale boost for our men and women in uniform," said Carolyn Blashek, founder of Operation Gratitude. "Every year of the Candy Buy Back program, we have received more and more support from across the country. Last year, we collected 122,000 pounds of candy. We hope to surpass that number this year!"
By donating their candy to this patriotic cause, children can learn about service and giving back, and also cut down on gorging themselves with Halloween candy. Each year more and more children are becoming obese: in fact, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, 15 percent of children ages 6 to 18 are overweight. A simple step like reducing sugar intake is an easy way to help curb the obesity epidemic.
Dentists are a crucial step in the Halloween Candy Buy Back program. Leading the dentists is Dr. Chris Kammer of Lifetime Family Dentistry in Middleton, Wisconsin. Dr. Kammer has been receiving donated candy for years at his practice, and in 2007, wanted to expand his program. That's when he got in touch with Carolyn at Operation Gratitude. Since then, he has been on the forefront of this program and has helped grow the involvement from dentists nationwide.
"I usually share the story of a young soldier who was preparing to take his own life," said Dr. Kammer. "But then he received a care package from Operation Gratitude and it made all the difference to him. These packages are not just candy and socks; they become a special delivery of hope for our men and women overseas and also an affirmation that they are thought about everyday back home."
Troops share the candy with members of their unit to brighten their day, but it can also be an effective combat tool to win the hearts and minds of the local population, which in turn can lead to saving many lives. When the troops share the candy with children and families in and around the villages in which they are patrolling, the locals often provide intelligence about insurgents, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other dangers.
After receiving a package from Operation Gratitude, one Marine sent this letter:
"I just received your care package today and wanted to take a minute to say thank you so very much for your generosity and support. You have no idea just how much all your support means to all of us over here. The timing of your package could not have been any better. It definitely helped to brighten an otherwise dismal couple of days. I shared the goodies in your care package with all of the Marines in my work center so your generosity touched many, some of whom had not received anything from back home. It's generous people like you that make all the long months away from home and family and friends worth the sacrifice. We can't thank you enough for your generous donation and support. On behalf of all my Marines: Thank you and Semper Fidelis. Sincerely, GYSGT S. R."
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
This year, dentists are also collecting other care package items that are needed, such as:
- beanie babies or other small stuffed animals
- handmade scarves
- socks
- DVDs and CDs
- personal letters
Operation Gratitude encourages anyone who has a family member or friend deployed overseas to fill out a request care package form on the Operation Gratitude website. The organization will send the package this Holiday season. Family members and supporters can visit www.OperationGratitude.com to share contact information or learn how they can support the troops.
Find a participating dentist near you.
About Operation Gratitude:
Operation Gratitude annually sends 100,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in harm's way. Their mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member's face and express to the Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people. Each package contains donated product valued at about $125 and costs the organization $15 to assemble and ship. For safety and security, assembling of packages occurs at the Army National Guard armory in Van Nuys, California. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than 560,000 packages to American Military deployed overseas. For more information on Operation Gratitude please visit www.OperationGratitude.com.
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Source: Operation Gratitude, Halloween Candy Buy Back.
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