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The Wellesley Dental Group collected nearly 8,600 lbs of Halloween candy this year, shipping it to U.S. troops serving overseas.
“We started this program after hearing from our patients that they didn’t want to throw their children’s candy away but knew they shouldn’t let them eat the pounds and pounds of it they collected on Halloween. I thought of those who would have no access to this wonderful Halloween tradition and started a ‘keep a piece – give a piece’ tradition that has evolved into thousands of care packages to troops worldwide,” said Dr. Femina Ali, founder of Wellesley Dental Group with her husband Dr. Ejaz Ali.
From November 1 to November 9, area school children and residents collected candy along with handwritten notes and cards for soldiers. The effort also teaches children lessons in giving by encouraging them to share their extra Halloween candy with servicemen and women who couldn’t be home to trick-or-treat with their own children. The sweet treats and handwritten cards were packaged along with much-needed hygiene supplies and shipped via the non-profit CarePacks, headquartered in Weymouth.
Founded in 2004, CarePacks’ goal is to provide our troops with supplies to help improve their morale, mental health, and quality of life, and to remind them that they are remembered by people “back home.”
