Dentist in Feeding Hills collects Halloween candy for troops overseas

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FEEDING HILLS, Mass. (WWLP) – Dr. Michael Calabrese, a dentist in Feeding Hills, is collecting unopened Halloween candy to send to troops from western Massachusetts serving overseas.

The initiative, which began over 20 years ago, was inspired by Dr. Calabrese’s cousin who served in the Persian Gulf War and appreciated receiving care packages.

“When he came back, he said, ‘You know, those things really mean a lot to the troops serving overseas,’” said Cecilia Calabrese, Chair of Candy Collection for the Troops and dental hygienist at Agawam Dental Arts.

The candy collection effort is coordinated with the local Marine Corps League to ensure packages reach men and women native to western Massachusetts who are currently serving overseas. Residents from western Massachusetts have been actively donating their extra candy.

“This is a good cause,” said Pat Dudas of Westfield. “I’m happy to participate, and it was very good for my waistline to have a place to bring them.”

Candy will be collected during normal office hours from Tuesday through Friday, with the collection wrapping up at 4 p.m. on Friday. Last year, the initiative successfully collected around 600 pounds of candy, and organizers are hopeful to exceed that amount this year.

Participants will also be entered into a raffle for four movie tickets and a gift card to Kaptain Jimmy’s Restaurant. The candy collection effort not only supports troops overseas but also engages the local community in a meaningful way, continuing a tradition that has lasted over two decades.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.

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Claire Overton

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