Annual Candy Buy-Back Program a Sweet Success

To some kids, selling their hard earned Halloween candy might seem about as absurd as snow falling in the summer, but to clients of the orthodontic practice of , it's become a tradition. 

The dental duo hosted their on Nov. 2. Kids trickled in all day to have their Halloween candy weighed to receive a dollar per pound, and for every pound collected, Weiss & Luccarelli matched it dollar-for-dollar for a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

By the end of the buy back, a grand total of 1,000 pounds of candy had been collected resulting in a $2,000 donation. The candy will be donated to Mineola's . The event has been quite a success as over the last 10 years Weiss & Luccarelli have donated over $20,000 to Make-A-Wish.

"We're honored to make this donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation," Luccarelli said. "It's the ultimate children's charity, making children's wishes come true.  We're also pleased to support Mineola's Island Harvest; their mission of feeding the hungry on Long Island is commendable."

Halloween has become such a widely celebrated and super-sized holiday that according to Nielsen Research, Americans spend nearly $2 billion dollars on candy each year. After the initial sugar rush, ultimately much of the candy does go to waste.

"We do think that everyone should enjoy a treat every now and then," Doreen Principe, Program Coordinator for Island Harvest said in a statement.  But "Weiss & Luccarelli's Halloween Candy Buy Back program will add a little sweetness to the holidays for our many neighbors in need. (It's) a win-win for their young patients and struggling Long Island families."

Candy buy-back programs have been increasing in popularity among dentists and orthodontists who are concerned about the nearly 24 pounds of candy the average American consumes each year according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 current industrial reports. For children, much of that candy is consumed after Halloween. Buy-back programs become a perfect incentive for children to curb their sugar habit and help contribute to a worthy cause.

"It's a great event that we're very proud of," said office manager Diane Gismervik.  "We implemented the program because we noticed that after Halloween many of our patients were coming in with broken brackets.  We thought the buy back would help alleviate this problem and to be able to help the community is a plus.

Gismervik added that many of the children donate the dollars they earn. "We had one child come in with 38 pounds of candy," she said.  "We were astounded.  Of course, the parents are equally as happy to get the excess calories out of their house; it's win-win program for everyone."

Anna Ciuffo's children have been donating their candy for the last five years. Ciuffo is thrilled with the program and the prospect that those in need will be provided with the candy.  When asked if her children donated willingly, she chuckled and advised they do keep a stash for themselves.

"Trick-or-treating is really more for the fun of it, this year my kids stayed out for hours," said Ciuffo, whose daughters donated 15 pounds of sweets. "The girls were happy to make the donation," she said, "they are aware of Island Harvest through their work with the Girl Scouts. They know there are people in need on Long Island."