It’s the day after Halloween and you’re finally coming off of your sugar high.  You have all these leftover sweets that are only going to add on extra pounds just in time for your holiday photo cards. I’m well aware that some of you may not take part in the festivities of Halloween.  But if you are one of the few, the proud, the trick-or-treaters, go out and collect some candy! If you prefer instead to hand it out from your overflowing candy bowl at the door, resist giving handfuls from the bottom of the bowl to those last late trick or treaters. Why? Because I want you to give it away…to American troops.

Earlier this year, I heard about a program called Soldiers’ Angels, a volunteer organization of thousands which organizes many projects to support American troops.  In this Halloween project, they get people to collect candy for the troops and ship it to one of their three locations.  Soldiers’ Angels then boxes and distributes candy worldwide to our troops stationed around the globe. The soldiers appreciate getting a taste from home and also use the candy in gestures of goodwill for children in the places where they are stationed.

This year, I want to incorporate this candy drive into the Out-of-Door and Lakewood Ranch communities to benefit our troops.  One of the main reason’s I’m so passionate about this project is because my brother is in the US Air Force.   The beauty of this project is that you, the student, can decide to give. Instead of asking parents for money, students can feel the satisfaction of choosing to make a difference and make a soldier’s day by offering something of their own. Headmaster, Mr. David Mahler notes that “It’s a perfect way for our students to let soldiers stationed abroad know that we are all thinking about them.”

So whether you donate 100 pounds of candy, or throw a couple of packages of Skittles into the bins placed conveniently in each advisor’s classroom, all of your support is greatly appreciated. Imagine the smile on a young child’s face as a soldier hands out that little Snickers bar in a distant village or a service man or woman enjoying a little taste of home. Donate to our candy drive after Halloween!

Josh Simon, a sophomore, is a guest writer for the Bolt and member of S.A.L.T, the Student Admission Leadership Team.