MENTOR, Ohio – For those stuck with gobs of Halloween candy this year, you can turn those extra treats into cash.
Ten Lake County dental offices are paying one-dollar for each pound of candy donated, said Dr. Jaqueline Cerar of Macy Family Dentistry.
“Everybody’s excited,” Cerar said. “The parents are just thrilled to be able to get it out of the house and the kids are excited to get some cash.”
The “Cash for Candy” program will collect candy for the United Way of Lake County until the end of the week.
Then, that candy will be shipped off to the troops overseas.
Cerar said they’re also hoping to get candy to kids on the East Coast, who missed trick-or-treating due to Hurricane Sandy.
“It’s a win-win-win situation for everybody,” she said. “The parents get the candy out of the house, the kids aren’t eating the candy. The United Way has benefited. All the dentists participating in the event have given a cash donation to the United Way to be a part of this great program, and then the troops and the kids who need the candy, or who have great use for the candy are going to get the candy.”
Cash for Candy started last year, with nine dental offices collecting 175 pounds of candy.
“It’s very exciting, so glad to see so much sent, but I think we can do more this year,” Cerar said.
Cerar said any child, not just patients, can drop off candy to one of the participating locations. They can earn up to $5 for their donations.
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