Over 80 pounds of candy for Operation Gratitude!

With most of our overseas troops being young men 18-30 years old (Source:usarmy.org), they’re not unlike any other teenagers or young men we know who like to munch on candy and chocolate. Many of these troops are looking for familiarity around them to remind them of their home, even if it’s as small as a Snickers bar or Starburst candy….. With that said, what are we doing with all of this Halloween candy? Many of us don’t want our children eating this huge amount for the next YEAR! Should we just eat it all once the kids are asleep? Or, let it all go to waste?
As most of you know, for the past 5 years CT-Moms has hosted our Post-Halloween Deja-Boo party and collected Halloween candy for the purpose of sending to Operation Gratitude, who puts together care packages for these overseas troops. Not only are these candies enjoyed by our soldiers, but they share them out with the children they meet in the villages they encounter to befriend them. In many cases, it’s the relationships with these children that warn our soldiers of where or how they might encounter danger around them (Source:operationgratitude.com)

We have collected anywhere from 21-70 pounds of candy over the years and with the generosity of fellow CT-Mom Ridhita Gupta and her husband Rajat, we are able to ship this package to Operation Gratitude at no cost to us. Not only are Rajat and Ridhita the owners of Bright Beginnings Early Childcare Program in Stamford (http://bbecp.com/) but they also own the UPS Store on E. Putnam in Greenwich (http://www.theupsstorelocal.com/0822), who has agreed to donate the cost of the shipping for this package for the third year in a row. Thank you!

We anticipate this shipment to go out THIS Thursday (Nov. 10th) so if you’d like to include your Halloween candy (can be loose candy, must be individually wrapped….) you must get it to either Julie F in Stamford or Fairfield or Medha in Westport BY Wednesday night. Email our team at ctmoms@ctmomsonline.com to coordinate pick up or drop off prior to Wednesday. So far, we have about 31 pounds collected and Operation Gratitude, your waistline and your children’s teeth thank you! 

We hope everyone had a peaceful, fun and electricity-filled Halloween weekend!

Tags: Halloween

Category: Announcements