Each Halloween Americans spend $950 million on candy; we buy 20 million pounds of candy corn alone. Beside the dress up and the pumpkins many of our kids experience their biggest sugar rush and crash of the year. And as fun as trick or treating is Halloween night often ends ugly for them and for us! The sugar meltdowns wipe out all the fun we had getting ready for the big night.
Well, there might be a better way.
Since Halloween 2001 Book for Treats has given away thousands of used books each year to kids in the San Jose, CA area. Their tagline reads “Give Brain Candy. Feed Kids’ Minds, Not Their Cavities.”
Books For Treats was founded by Rebecca Morgan, who amazingly enough does not have kids. Morgan; however, is deeply “concerned about literacy, childhood obesity and diabetes and wanted to make a difference to the children in my community.” And she has. The program has garnered support from the San Jose mayor, current and former city council members and the Diabetes Association.
So far only a few libraries around the country have picked up on this worthy concept and I hope more jump on board in the years ahead.
I know I’m sold and tomorrow night when you come to my door you will get a book and a piece of candy.
Comic by Greg Evans