Getty Images
-
Parenting
Halloween
-
Entertainment
Photos
- Health News Article
Last night was the first time we went trick-or-treating with our 3-year-old son, so I’ve officially joined the ranks of moms who are swimming in candy today. We’re not going to let our children eat it all, right (unless maybe you didn't hit up as many houses as we did)? And I'm going to try my best not to “help” too much. Thankfully, there’s another solution. Kids can "sell" their uneaten candy to dentists, who then send it to the troops overseas. Just imagine soldiers in Iraq opening up boxes of Butterfingers and Twix bars -- a nice reminder of home!
Here’s how it works:
On a designated day (for some dentists, that’s today, but others do it later this week) dentists buy back your candy at $1 per pound. Then they mail it to American troops overseas through a program such as Operation Gratitude.
“This is a win-win,” says Dr. Ken McNabb of Mercer Park Dentistry in Washington state. “It gets the candy off the streets and means a lot to the troops. A letter from the children to the troops also means a lot.” Oh, and it might save your kid from getting a cavity or two.
Haven’t heard of such a program? Call your local dentist to see if he or she is participating. Even easier: Enter your zip code at halloweencandybuyback.com, and get a list of local dentists who'll buy your candy. (I found five dentists within five miles of my home who are doing it!)
If you can’t find one in your neighborhood, Operation Gratitude says you can organize a candy drive yourself.
How much candy were you left with after Halloween? Chime in below!
