Too much Halloween candy? Here are some places to donate it
Having too much candy sounds like a good problem to many, or no problem at all if you're a kid, but if you want to lessen the treat temptation at your house, there are plenty of places that will take Halloween candy and donate it to a good cause.
Dentists, not surprisingly, wouldn't mind you giving up some of that sugar. Many area dental offices collect candy to donate to charity groups.
Dr. Anthony Bennardo and his staff in South Elgin are in their first year of buying candy back from patients and the public for $2 a pound and then donating it to Operation Gratitude.
“Everybody likes a little bit of sweets, even the dentist,” Bennardo said. “But too much is not good.”
Operation Gratitude has been running a Halloween Candy Give Back program since 2007. Candy collected by businesses and sent to them is then distributed to deployed troops, local military units, veterans and first responders.
“It's great for the kids that come in because they feel like it's a way to help somebody else,” he said. “And hopefully it gives troops a little connection to back home.”
For more information, go to www.artisticsmiledoctor.com.
Other area dental offices doing candy drop-offs or buybacks include:
• Serenity Dental Studio in Schaumburg. www.serenitydentalschaumburg.com
• McCall Family Dentistry in Geneva. www.mccallfamilydentistry.com
• Eagle Falls Dentistry in Bloomingdale. www.eaglefalls.com
Soldiers' Angels, another organization collecting for service members with their Treats for Troops program, has a number of suburban businesses volunteering as drop-off sites, including CH Hanson Co. in Naperville, MyEyeDr in Downers Grove, Modern Essence Dentistry in Roselle, Glenstar in Schaumburg and the Huntley Park District office.
More information on drop-off days and times, and addresses for each business, can be found at soldiersangels.org/treats-for-troops/treats-for-troops-dropoff-locations/.
Local food banks, including the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva and its branches, will see that your candy finds a good home.
In Buffalo Grove, the police department is collecting candy for GiveNKind, a Mundelein organization that collects items for area nonprofits. Candy can be dropped off in the department lobby at 46 Raupp Blvd. now through Nov. 12.