Following last year’s second annual “Treats for Troops” drive, where Las Animas Elementary students pooled approximately 888 pounds of candy for a good cause, they’re at it again and inviting the community to join in on the sweet gesture.
The concept – which involves donating superfluous Halloween candy to servicemen and women – was adopted in Gilroy after parent volunteer Diana Torres with Las Animas Elementary School read about the idea in a magazine.
She got the ball rolling in 2011, when Las Animas students (willingly and cheerfully, nonetheless) contributed 554.5 pounds of their trick-or-treat sweets to troops overseas through Operation Interdependence.
The organization, which has a local chapter in Gilroy, is a national volunteer-based program with a civilian-to-military delivery system that sends quart-sized bags filled with treats, toiletries and handwritten letters to troops stationed in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.
The drive continues to gain momentum. In 2012, the efforts of Las Animas students was bolstered by Gilroy (234 pounds) and Christopher High Schools (104 pounds), along with the Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy (45 pounds), the final tally of donated candy reached 1,271.
Approximately 780 Las Animas students also wrote 1,000 letters that went into care packages assembled at local O.I. headquarters. Each student was required to write at least one letter as part of a writing assignment, but many went above and beyond and wrote more, Torres said.
“The community outpouring on this project has been amazing,” Torres gushed last year, mentioning one family that brought in 80 pounds of Snickers. “The students at our school(s) are total givers.”
This year, the torch has been passed to Las Animas parent Michelle Hernandez, who has taken over Torres’ volunteer position.
How to participate:
-Throughout November, Hernandez will be on hand outside Las Animas at 7:45 a.m. to collect candy donations. CHS, GHS and GECA will also be accepting donations.
