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It's a fair swap: cash for candy

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By KLINT LOWRY

The Suncoast News

Published: October 31, 2009

TRINITY - To dentists, Halloween is truly the scariest of holidays - all those sticky, gooey sugary things that pass through the night into the waiting sacks of young trick-or-treaters.

This year, Christopher Thompson is joining a growing number of dental professionals across the country who have found a way to turn their annual nemesis into a number of positives.
Thompson Dental at Trinity, 2202 Duck Slough Blvd., Suite 104, is inviting children and their parents to The Great Halloween Candy Buy Back, which will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday.

Thompson is asking children to sort through all the sweets they collect on Halloween, pick out some favorites for themselves and bring the rest to his office. Thompson will pay $1 per pound of candy they bring.

All the candy collected will then be shipped to troops serving overseas as part of holiday gift packages.

"This is our first year," Thompson said. "I'm hoping for a big turnout."

The Great Halloween Buy Back is a national campaign Chris Kammer started in 2005. Kammer is a Wisconsin dentist who had his own media company, Bite Down Productions.

Kammer's concept caught on immediately among his local colleagues, and he began pitching it on a national level. The campaign's Web site, www. halloweencandybuyback .com, includes listings of participating dental practices across the country.

Thompson read about The Halloween Candy Buy Back in a trade journal last year, but not in time for Halloween, so he had to wait until this year to become the first west Pasco dentist to be listed on the Web site, looking forward to contributing to two good causes at the same time.

The official program goes through the California Army National Guard's Operation Gratitude to ship the candy.

But Thompson found an organization in Wesley Chapel, Operation Homefront, that ships about 5 tons of gifts to the troops and arranged with its director, Bob Williams, to send the soldiers the candy he gets.

There's no limit to the amount of candy a child can bring in, Thompson said. He is prepared to pay as much as $1,600 this inaugural year.

That would represent more than three-quarters of a ton of candy that won't be having an effect on local children's teeth. Instead, the sweets will help bring smiles and alleviate a bit of homesickness for troops who will be spending the holidays thousands of miles from loved ones.

Thompson said that since he began letting patients know about the program, several who don't even have children have said never mind the $1 a pound, they'll come in that day before the party and contribute some candy.

Thompson will close his office early that day and make a party out if it. Along with the money for their candy, children who attend will also get a goody bag of dental care supplies.

For information or directions to Thompson Dental at Trinity, call (727) 375-2000 or visit www.TrinitySmiles.com.

Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or klowry @suncoastnews.com.

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