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Kids sold the candy they acquired Halloween night to send to the troops

BOISE -- Some parents probably have a hard time getting their children to give up their hard earned Halloween candy.

But for some local kids, it's actually an opportunity to make some cash.

In the first annual Cash for Candy event, hundreds of dollars were handed out.

They came in by the carloads, kids packing the candy they acquired Halloween night.  Where they were going with it, was not a party or a place to eat their sweet treats, instead quite the contrary.

At Children's Dentistry in Nampa, Dr. Kevin Kizer and his staff were actually buying back the bubble gum, chocolate and other goodies, paying the participating children a dollar per pound for the candy.

"We are getting the candy out of the kids mouths and we are shipping it off to the guys overseas for all the great things they do for us," said Christine Taylor of Children's Dentistry.

The message is to dump the candy. In exchange children got an electric toothbrush, money, and a sense of giving to those who give to our country every day.

Doctor Kizer's office says by sending a small treat to our troops far away, it gives them a little taste of Halloween and home.

Pound by pound within the first few minutes of opening their doors, the dental office had a steady stream of kids giving up their candy.

"We gave 16 pounds of candy and we got 16 bucks," said Easton Erickson who gave up his candy.

For many of the children, it wasn't about giving up the candy.

"I’ll probably spend video games with it or stuffed animals,” said Leilani Erickson who also gave up her candy.

And for some it wasn’t even about getting money.

"It gives them a good feeling of helping in the community,” said Taylor. “They are giving something they really like for a good cause and they are learning at a young age that you can give back."

The dentist's office says global sugar consumption increases by about two percent annually and that averages to about 50 million tons of sugar per year.

So the dental office is giving a new meaning to putting your money where your mouth is.

Doctor Kizer's office ended up paying out $400 after collecting almost 400 pounds from little more than 100 children.    

The idea of dumping the candy is a nation wide event, but Children's Dentistry is the first in Idaho to take part.

The dentist's office set a $10 minimum for each child that brought in candy.

They say it was a huge success and they're excited to do it next year.