About the Program

Thank you for your interest in the Halloween Candy Buyback program and for your thoughtfulness in providing the candy to Operation Gratitude for our Holiday Care Packages. Operation Gratitude will be sending 60,000 care packages (including our Milestone Package in December) and we need tons of candy, literally, to fill them! Last year, we received and shipped 125 TONS! We hope you will participate in this worthwhile and fun activity!

This year, we welcome your participation even without paying the children $1/pound for the candy! Alternative ideas you can use -- "goody bags" with dental hygiene products, coupons from local businesses, and/or entries into a drawing for a special prize, etc. We like the concept of "Give-Back"and we're using both the Halloween Candy Buyback and Halloween Candy Give-Back names. Please feel free to use whichever name best reflects what you plan to do.

This year, we have another new addition to the program: We hope to receive 100,000 Toothbrush/Toothpaste sets to include in the care packages with the candy!  Please help us reach this important goal.

Chocolate candy is fine this time of year. If you have volunteers to help you, we would appreciate if you would separate chocolate candy from all other candy and send to us in separate cartons, marked "Chocolate" or "Non-Chocolate." This would be a huge help on our end to ensure that the chocolate candy is all sent during the cooler months.

I urge all dentists to register on this Halloween Candy Buyback Website: http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com so that people in your community can learn about your participation in this great program. By registering, you can receive Updates, Newsletters, Sample Press Releases and other valuable information from Dr. Chris Kammer, the architect of this great program.

We invite you to "like" us on our Halloween Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/HalloweenCandy (where we will be sharing lots of new Halloween Candy ideas and updates) and on the Operation Gratitude page:  www.facebook.com/OperationGratitude for overall information about our program.

As long as you will be sending all collected candy, items and letters to Operation Gratitude, you are authorized to use the Operation Gratitude name, logo, photos, flyers and other materials in connection with your collection efforts. 

To request Flyers and Posters about Operation Gratitude, please email opgrat@gmail.com. Check out our fun Halloween Candy buyback Video too! If you'd like standard language to use about Operation Gratitude, let us know and we will email different length versions.  We can also send the Operation Gratitude logo for your use.

In addition, you are welcome to use photos and troop letters from our website as long as attribution is given to Operation Gratitude. If you need higher resolution files on the website photos, please copy and paste the photo into an email and send to us so we can identify and find the original file(s).

I especially encourage your office and your patients to write letters/cards to the troops that we can include with your candy in the packages. We also welcome donations of dental hygiene products such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss--perhaps your suppliers/reps would be willing to participate as well!

Additional items you might consider collecting for our program:

• Commercially sealed Lip Balm, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, mouthwash
• Beanie Babies/WebKinz or other small stuffed animals
• Hand-Knit/Crochet Scarves and Hats
• Socks (dark colors are best)
• Small packages Beef Jerky
• Energy/Protein Bars
• Individual Packets of Hot Cereal
• DVD's / CD's
• Personal Letters of Appreciation

Creative Ideas:

• "Buy" Back the candy without spending money! Barter, Exchange, Partner and Swap!
• Partner with local businesses to provide discounts and coupons in exchange for candy
• Hold a contest for the most candy donated or to guess the total weight of candy given back; give prizes to winners
• Send out Press Releases (samples on the Buyback website) to local media, PR firms, schools, civic groups, businesses, restaurants
• Urge your dental product suppliers to donate toothbrushes for the kids and to send to the troops
• Contact local sports teams (professional, schools, clubs) to set up Halloween Candy drop-off sites at their facilities.
• Share ideas on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/HalloweenCandy!

SHIPPING INFORMATION:

• Feel free to use any size cartons--whatever you have on hand. The ideal size is 24" x 24" x 20" or smaller.
• Please separate chocolate from non-chocolate candy and send in separate cartons, marked accordingly.
• You can check the websites of the various shippers (UPS, USPS, Fed-Ex, DHL) and get their respective prices based on weight and size of package. Some of these outlets are allowed to offer discounts, as they are owned as franchises. Certainly worth asking!
• You might also check with local moving or freight companies--they might be willing to add your donation to their load for very little money (or for free) if they are heading this way anyway!
• Local businesses and/or civic or veterans organizations might be willing to sponsor the shipping expenses.

(Thank you for understanding that we cannot pay for shipping donations to us, as we need every penny of our funds to pay the shipping on the care packages to the troops: $15/package).

Please include this Donation Form in every package.

If sending more than one carton, a Donation Form must be included in each carton. Please indicate the total number of cartons being sent so we can be sure we have received all of them. Also — PLEASE NOTE: For our acknowledgment and “thank you” letter purposes, if the donation is a cooperative effort it is important that all donors be specific regarding who is donating items and who is donating postage costs.

All shipping information can be found on the Operation Gratitude Blog: SHIPPING INFO

If you want confirmation of delivery on your shipment to us prior to receipt of our acknowledgment letter, please use the tracking system provided by your shipper.

If you will also be mailing any financial donations, please make checks out to, and send separately from the candy (with a note referencing the candy) to:

Operation Gratitude

16444 Refugio Road

Encino, CA 91436

All financial donations will be acknowledged. If you would like to receive an acknowledgment for the donated candy, please include this form inside the shipment:  Donation Form Acknowledgments will be sent within three months.  Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) organization; donations are tax deductible as provided by law.

If any of your vendors are interested in donating to Operation Gratitude as a "Friend" or " Sponsor", please have them contact cblashek@aol.com for more details about our Corporate Donor program.

We welcome any digital photos of your Halloween Buyback Events to post on our Website and Facebook Page. Please feel free to use the Operation Gratitude name in connection with your collection efforts IF you will be sending the candy to Operation Gratitude. If you'd like standard language and logos to use, email opgrat@gmail.com.

In addition, you are welcome to use photos and troop letters from our website as long as attribution is given to Operation Gratitude. If you need higher resolution files on the website photos, please copy and paste the photo into an email and send to cblashek@aol.com so we can identify and find the original file(s).

We have a series of Operation Gratitude posters available which can be viewed at: POSTERS.  Email opgrat@gmail.com to request the printable files.

Again, please be sure to deliver your donations by no later than December 5 to ensure we can get them into our care packages this year. Any candy received after that date must be discarded.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you for your kindness. You will be putting smiles on the faces of our warriors during an otherwise difficult time away from home. They and we will be forever grateful.

“As a dentist, you can own Halloween!”

Chris Kammer

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