Fourth Annual ‘Operation Troop Treats’ Lets Fort Wayne Kids Exchange Candy for Toys, Give Back to U.S. Troops
Fort Wayne Kool Smiles Dental Offices Partner with Operation Gratitude to Benefit Kids’ Dental Health and Soldier Morale
Fort Wayne, IN – Kool Smiles, a leading provider of quality dental care in Fort Wayne is coordinating for the fourth year ‘Operation Troop Treats’, a program that helps give kid’s teeth a post-Halloween break while giving our U.S. troops serving overseas a sweet reminder of their home. Operation Troop Treats encourages children and their families to visit one of the two local Kool Smiles dental offices between Friday, Oct. 30 and Wednesday, Nov. 4 to exchange their Halloween candy for toys. The donated candy will then be sent in care packages to U.S. troops serving overseas via Operation Gratitude.
"Operation Troop Treats is our way of encouraging kids and their parents to maintain good dental health this Halloween while providing an opportunity to give back to our brave U.S. soldiers serving overseas," said Kool Smiles Managing Dental Director, Dr. Polly Boehnlein. "Limiting the amount of sugar-filled sweets eaten during Halloween, along with encouraging healthy eating, brushing and flossing habits, can help reduce the risk of cavities. Sending some of these sweets to our troops abroad – along with dental kits to encourage good oral hygiene for them, too – is a win-win for everyone. We don’t want to take the fun out of Trick or Treating – just the cavities!"
In addition to the candy cargo, Kool Smiles is donating the funds to cover the assembly and shipment of 200 Operation Gratitude care packages to overseas troops, which will include dental kits from Kool Smiles.
"We’re extremely grateful for the sacrifices made by American servicemen and women and their families. That’s why we eagerly partner with Operation Gratitude each year – an organization annually producing more than 100,000 care packages for U.S. Service Members deployed in hostile regions, their children left behind, Wounded Warriors, Veterans, New Recruits and First Responders,” said Dr. Boehnlein. “This is a great way for local families to give back to our troops serving abroad, while also maintaining good dental habits at home during the Halloween season.”
The Fort Wayne area Kool Smiles offices are participating from Friday, October 30 to Wednesday, November 4 during open office hours. Every child that comes in can receive one toy for every 25 pieces of unopened candy in its original intended packaging. The program is open to everyone, regardless of whether they are Kool Smiles patients. There is a limit of three toys per child and toys are distributed on a first come, first served basis. Kool Smiles offices are located at the following addresses:
Fort Wayne Kool Smiles – 1852 Bluffton Rd., Fort Wayne, IN 46809 260-479-1086
Brushing twice daily and getting regular dental checkups is vital for people of all ages. However, Halloween is an especially important time for parents to pay close attention to their children’s dental health. Good oral hygiene can prevent avoidable and expensive procedures, as well as contribute to a child’s overall health and wellbeing. Poor oral health, on the other hand, can lead to significant health issues and costs later in life.
For more information on the program or to find a dental office near you, please visit http://www.mykoolsmiles.com/trooptreats.
