Kalāheo Dental Candy Buyback Sends Thousands to Troops
Kalāheo Dental Group hosted its annual Halloween candy buyback Monday, trading unopened candy for cash and shipping donations to Operation Shoebox, a nonprofit that sends care packages to U.S. service members. The event supports oral health messaging, surplus reduction, and community engagement, and has collected about 3,000 pounds of candy since it began.
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Kalāheo Dental Group reopened its doors Monday afternoon for the practice's decade long Halloween candy buyback, offering families $1 per pound for unopened candy up to five pounds and collecting every piece for donation to Operation Shoebox. The two hour event took place at the dental office in Rainbow Plaza on Kaumuali‘i Highway in Kalāheo, and organizers weighed donations in front of donors to ensure transparency.
The buyback serves multiple community objectives. Organizers frame it as a harm reduction and oral health initiative that steers children away from excess sugar while converting unwanted candy into support for U.S. troops overseas. Since the program began about 10 years ago the practice reports it has collected roughly 3,000 pounds of candy. Donors were entered into a drawing for a one hundred dollar Small Fry Kaua‘i gift card as an additional incentive.
Local partnerships handle critical logistics. The UPS Store at Kukui Grove has been a longtime partner and ships the packed boxes to Operation Shoebox for distribution to deployed service members. That network of a medical practice a retail shipping outlet and a national nonprofit demonstrates how small scale civic initiatives can leverage existing institutions to move tangible aid and reduce local waste.
For Kaua‘i residents the event offers immediate benefits and broader lessons. The buyback provides a clear alternative to discarding surplus candy while reinforcing dental health practices promoted by local providers. It also creates a volunteer opportunity and a visible act of civic participation that can increase community cohesion on the west side of the island. The practice of openly weighing donations and using a public drawing enhances trust in how contributions are handled.
There are policy and institutional implications worth noting. Public health officials and school administrators could consider formalizing partnerships with dental clinics and nonprofit distributors to scale similar programs across the county. Such coordination could align oral health education with community service and improve tracking of donated goods. The program also highlights the role of small businesses in meeting public needs, suggesting that county support for low cost shipping subsidies or streamlined permitting for charitable drives could multiply their impact.
Kalāheo Dental Group has run the buyback since 2015 and plans to continue the program, maintaining its focus on community welfare and support for service members. The event on November 2 2025 underscores how a local clinic can translate a seasonal concern into sustained civic engagement. Contact and more event details were provided in the original announcement.
