One middle school in the East Coast really knows how to embrace the holiday spirit.
7th graders in a New Hampshire middle school have collected over 400 pounds of Halloween candy and shipped it to troops over sea. A five year tradition, students at Hampton Academy have been shipping packages to troops since 2011. A couple of years later, the students began combining their trick-or-treat candy and sending it Afghanistan.
The students became inspired to support the troops while taking a class on the Middle East. Inevitably, the class discussion gravitated towards the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan. The first year, the kids collected pencils, crayons and clothing to a parent stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan, working with NATO forces. The supplies were used by Afghan women and their children
After that, the packages became an annual tradition. The teachers of Hampton Academy see the effort as a way to teach their students about helping others, no matter where they are.
In 2013, the children began piling their candy together and shipping it overseas. Every year the pile continues to get bigger. Last year, the 7th graders collected over 260 pounds of Halloween treats. This year, the pile increased by 140 pounds, which proved expensive to ship to the Middle East.
Every box filled with candy was about $15 dollars to shop overseas. In the end, the shipping bill turned out to be over $600, a hefty bill on a teacher’s salary.
The teachers turned to social media for help and the donations came flying in. One donor even donated $500.
It’s impressive how much candy one school alone can pile together. We’ll have to wait until next Christmas season to see how much larger the pile gets. For more candy news, make sure to keep up with our blog. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter