COAL TOWNSHIP -- Candy is something you don't normally see at a dentist's office, but this place had lots of extra Halloween candy that belonged to trick or treaters in Northumberland County.
Owens Dentistry near Shamokin has a program called Operation Gratitude. For the next few days, J.C. Owens will buy back Halloween candy from kids.
"Operation Gratitude then takes it and boxes it up and sends it to the troops all over the world," Owens explains.
Kids get $1 per pound of candy, plus a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a sticker.
Heather Reibsome of Mount Carmel was happy to donate some of her son Stephen's candy.
"(It's) way more than he needed, than we all needed to have."
The children tell Newswatch 16 they don't mind giving up their sweets because they know the servicemen and women will enjoy them.
Dr. Owens tells Newswatch 16 they are typically able to give around 100 pounds of candy to the troops.
"We're not trying to rob kids of their candy or their fun, but it does help with their oral hygiene."
The candy buyback program runs through Thursday at Owens Dentistry near Shamokin.