A South Hill business owner has collected an estimated 1,000 pounds of Halloween candy to bring “a small taste of home“ to deployed soldiers.
People drove to South Hill’s Little Gym to hand owner Tom Watrous bags and tubs of leftover, fun-sized sweets.
One woman drove from Seattle with the bed of a pickup full of candy, Watrous said. A Navy veteran walked in with three plastic containers of 100 pounds of chocolates and candy.
Tehaleh Heights Elementary students in Bonney Lake sent 300 pounds and a letter for the troops to the Sunrise Village business. Other kids in Little Gym classes brought sandwich baggies of their Halloween stash to donate.
“It’s just been great seeing all the community come together to support the troops,” Watrous said.
Watrous said he wanted to get involved when he learned of the nonprofit Soldiers’ Angels and its “Treats for Troops” program. He created a Facebook post to collect candy Nov. 1-7.
He expected about 40 pounds of candy, but had to move out of his office when boxes of Skittles, M&Ms, Butterfingers, Hershey chocolates and Kit Kats arrived in the trash bags, boxes and tubs.
“It’s now the candy room,” he said. “I worked up a sweat moving all that candy.”
The tricky part will be getting the candy to Spokane, where Soldiers’ Angels has a drop-off point. The nonprofit will then distribute the treats to troops overseas. Watrous said he might have to rent a van to drive donations to a Soldiers’ Angels coordinator.
The business owner said he will be better prepared next year for the community’s generosity.
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