Cash for Candy

Dentists from all over the state are taking part in a program that, quite frankly, may not be good for business.
That said, dozens of local dental practices are taking part in the fifth annual Halloween Candy Buyback event from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.

The program is aimed at getting candy, “off the streets,” and sent to troops overseas, according to the program’s website, www.halloweencandybuyback.com.

Parents and children can bring candy collected during Halloween trick-or-treating to participating dental offices throughout the county during the program’s scheduled hours ( 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1) and get paid, up to $1 per pound, for unopened candy brought back and donated to the program.

The journey for these delicious treats doesn’t end there, however.

Candy is then packaged up in boxes and sent to soldiers overseas as part of Operation Gratitude.

The candy not only delights the taste buds of soldiers, but it is often shared in a show of trust between American soldiers and locals, sometimes resulting in the acquisition of key intelligence.

Since the candy buyback program began nearly a decade ago, tons of candy has been collected from dentist offices all over the United States, filling more than 1,000,000 boxes for troops all over the globe.

In fact, in 2014 alone, the program bought back 410,052 pounds of candy from children, that’s over 12 million individually wrapped treats.

For more information, and to find a dentist participating in the program near you, go to halloweencandybuyback.com.

Image via Creative Commons