Give extra candy to soldiers
Perhaps you loaded up on gigantic bags of Kit-Kats, Nerds and Sour Patch candies out of fear you'd run out on Halloween.
But if you're now left with a couple pounds of the calorie-laden temptations, several Geneva schools can help you with that.
Williamsburg and Heartland elementary schools are collecting leftover candy through Monday for the Soldiers' Angels charity. Mill Creek and Fabyan elementary schools are collecting through Friday.
Last year at Williamsburg, the student council-led drive ended up with 36 cubic feet of candy, or 15 copier-paper boxes full.
"A lot of it was still unopened, full packages," student council adviser Nancy Krasinski said. "Oh man, that bin was full."
She suspects some parents shopped the post-Halloween sales where candy is greatly discounted. At Heartland, a Girl Scout troop ran the drive and collected more than 200 pounds.
Soldiers' Angels sends the candy to U.S. military personnel overseas "to help them know they are still thought about back home," Krasinski said. The servicemen and women can enjoy the candy themselves but many also give it to children they encounter as a goodwill gesture.
Students are familiar with the Soldiers' Angels program, as they send cards and letters, via the program, to soldiers at Christmas time and Valentine's Day.
Candy can be dropped off in bins near the school offices. Each piece must be individually wrapped. If it isn't a sealed bag of candy, pieces should be in a zippered plastic food storage bag.
And since temperatures are cooler now in Iraq and Afghanistan heading in to the winter months, it's OK to send chocolate candy. It won't melt.
For more information, see soldiersangels.org.
Williamsburg is at 1812 Williamsburg Ave.; Fabyan is at Fabyan Parkway and South Mill Creek Drive. Heartland is at 3300 Heartland Drive, and Mill Creek is at Brundige and Keslinger roads.
In addition to Geneva, leftover Halloween candy is being collected at Restor Healing Center, 416 E. Roosevelt Road, Suite 107, Wheaton. Candy will be collected through Nov. 12 and then shipped to troops in Afghanistan. The center also will give a dollar for each pound of candy to the People's Resource Center.
For details, call (630) 682-5090.