Omni Military Loans Blog: Dentists Help Troops with Halloween Candy Buyback Program

Trick or Treating for America’s Troops

On October 31st, dentists, kids, and communities around the country will come together to support U.S. soldiers in a sweet way. The Halloween Candy Buyback program is a fun initiative that collects candy for the care packages provided by Operation Gratitude. The non-profit, volunteer-based organization Operation Gratitude sends over 100,000 care packages a year to deployed U.S. troops, their children back at home, veterans, wounded warriors and their care givers.

The program’s concept is simple. Participating dentists “buy” back the Halloween candy collected by children in their community. They can “purchase” the candy by offering something special in exchange, such as a set price per pound of candy, coupons from local businesses, dental hygiene goody bags, etc. The dentists then send the candy to Operation Gratitude where it will be included in care packages that are distributed throughout the world.

Created by dentist Dr. Chris Kammer, the Halloween Candy Buyback program has had a global impact. To learn more, watch this ABC News video featuring Dr. Kammer when he was recognized as Person of the Week.

Visit the Halloween Candy Buyback website for details about this program and to locate a participating dentist near you. Happy Halloween!