Halloween candy exchange program Operation Troop Treats is gearing up again this fall for its fourth year. The U.S. program is designed to promote good dental hygiene during the Halloween season and give kids the opportunity to send overseas troops a reminder of home.
The program is coordinated by Kool Smiles and encourages children to trade their Halloween candy in exchange for a toy at 125 Kool Smiles offices in the U.S. The candy will then be sent in care packages to U.S. troops serving abroad via Operation Gratitude. The company is also donating 200 dental kits for troops to Operation Gratitude and the funds to cover the assembly and shipment of 200 care packages.
"Operation Troop Treats is our way of encouraging kids and their parents to maintain good dental health this Halloween while providing an opportunity to give back to our brave U.S. soldiers serving overseas," stated D. Ray Gifford, DMD, managing dental director for Kool Smiles, in a press release. "Limiting the amount of sugar-filled sweets eaten during Halloween, along with encouraging healthy eating, brushing, and flossing habits, can help reduce the risk of cavities."
Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3), volunteer-based organization that produces more than 100,000 care packages each year for deployed U.S. service members, their children, and others.
