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It's a fair swap: cash for candy

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BY KLINT LOWRY

THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: October 28, 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, Dr. Christopher Thompson is joining a growing number of dental professionals around 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 4 - 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2.

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

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 Dr. 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.

While the official program goes through the California Army National Guard's Operation Gratitude to ship the candy, Thompson said he found an organization based in Wesley Chapel, Operation Homefront, that ships about five tons of gifts from home to the troops, and he has arranged with its director, Bob Williams, to send whatever he takes in through them.

There's no limit to the amount of candy a child can bring in, Thompson said. He is prepared to pay out as much $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 shut down his practice 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 more information or directions to Thompson Dental at Trinity, call 727-375-2000 or visit www.TrinitySmiles.com>.

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