According to School Secretary Laurie Christie, dentist offices usually take the uneaten candy and donate it to soldiers. Â Since no local dentists were participating this year, many Woodland schoolchildren donated the candy themselves.
Some kids brought in all of their candy while others brought in half cent said Christie. It was up to them how much they donated.
Based on the results of this fundraiser, Christie and the children are likely to send candy and crafts to soldiers next year as well.
“I think we might continue,” said Christie, “it depends on if we have the time. I feel like we’re always pushing for fundraisers because we’re such a little school. The kids really enjoy it too, so I think it’s something they should try to continue.”
The entire school participated in this project, many students created paper soldiers, painting their faces and uniforms. They then attached a letter, written by hand, to the front of the soldier to go along with the 44.2 pounds of candy. Fourth-graders were able to collectively donate three boxes of candy, along with customized soldiers and letters, to the troops.
“We had one boy who came in and brought me his entire bag of candy,” recalls Christie. “He went to his (piggy) bank and found two dollars to help with the shipping costs, and even wrote his own letter from home, which included his address, so the soldiers could write back.”
