As a rule, dental offices and candy go together like oil and water. But at Associated Dental Care in Bloomingdale, they have found a sweet connection between candy and a good cause.
"It's way too much candy. A day or two is all you need to do and then get rid of it. It just goes on, and so that's why we tried to help with that process," said Dr. Adam Szatkowski D.D.S., Associated Dental Care.
So after Halloween, the staff started collecting candy from their patients, schools, food banks and individuals. Suddenly, a dental office that preaches "stay away from candy" was inundated with a flood of the sweet stuff.
"We didn't really have huge expectations for what we were going to get. I thought we might get 50-100 pounds of candy," said Szatkowski.
In less than two weeks, the e cavity prevention organization is the sweetest spot in the far western suburbs. Bags and boxes all filled with yummy treats adding up to... How many pounds?
""Four thousand," said Lauren Carr/Associated Dental Care. "I mean, especially since this is our first year of doing it, so we were definitely taken aback with that goal of a hundred pounds."
But their goal wasn't just a lot of candy. It was lots of goodies for a very good cause. All this candy is about to be sent overseas to our troops far away from home sweet home. But don't get the idea they're going to eat all this candy. There's another very good use for it.
"Actually, it's for the soldiers to give to the kids to make peace with the local communities overseas and it's also used to barter for information from our enemies," Carr said.
Military intelligence for candy. Operation gratitude will be shipping the treasure overseas later this week.
