Halloween trick or treat night night came early this year at our house, and thanks no doubt to the H1N1 flu scare, we were visited by very few ghosts and goblins. We were despairing (drooling) over the amount of candy left over to tempt us, until I discovered Halloween Candy Buy Back, a program by dentists to buy candy from kids and their parents and send it to soldiers overseas.


Last year, participating dentists took in an average of 500 pounds of candy, with one practice hitting the three-ton mark. This candy was then given over to Operation Gratitude, which includes it in care packages sent to our troops overseas. To date, the organization has sent almost half a million packages.

Participating dentists buy candy back for $1 a pound. This is not a bad price for the cheapest hard-candy treats. The Reese's Cups and Twix we handed out, however, cost around $3.80 a pound, so the buy-back price represents a 74% loss in value. The last time I saw a drop like that was last year with my 401K plan. But it's all for a good cause, so the loss represents a donation.

Halloween Candy Buy Back gained prominence as a promotion for Dr. Chris Kammer, a well-known TV personality and dentist. He contends that "As a dentist, you can own Halloween!"

The Halloween Candy Buy Back web site includes a search feature to locate participating dentists in your area.