More than 40 pounds of candy will soon be on its way to United States’ troops serving overseas, thanks to the efforts of a township dentist.
For the fifth consecutive year, Dr. Joseph Haddad of Advanced Dental Arts, 738 Easton Ave., conducted a Halloween candy buy-back. His offer was $2 for each pound of candy brought to his office on Nov. 6 and 7.
The candy was boxed and will be sent to Operation Gratitude for distribution to service members overseas.
“We had a tremendous response,” Haddad said. “We had one young lady who was lovely, came in with like 10 pounds of candy and didn’t want any money for it at all, just generous for the troops.”
“We’re happy to do this and support the troops every year and just let them know that we care and we really appreciate what they do for us,” he said. “It’s an ongoing thing for us.”
Haddad said it’s the thought behind the collection, rather than the candy, that he hopes resonates with the troops.
“Not that the candy’s really good for their teeth, but it is really good to let them know we’re thinking about them, they’re overseas, they’re protecting our freedom and world freedom, and they just deserve a little recognition for what they do,” he said. “This is just a small token of hey, we’re thinking about you at a time when you’re not home with your children or you’re not home when the candy is being distributed, so let’s give you something just to let you know how we feel, just that we appreciate you.”