Local students send nearly two tons of ‘Treats for Troops’ Published Nov. 17, 2010 By PAO Staff Report JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Students from 19 Anchorage School District schools, including Joint Base Elmendorf- Richardson's Aurora Elementary School, donated 3,294 pounds of candy in ASD's Treats for Troops. Melanie Sutton, ASD health specialist, said she began the program four years ago at Aurora, where she collected a relatively modest 200 pounds of candy. Collecting 400 pounds of candy the following year after partnering with Mount Spurr Elementary School, Sutton said she expanded the program through her fellow health specialists, collecting 1,154 pounds of candy in 2009. The massive expansion required help with shipping, and Sutton said she received it through a partnership with the American Legion. Sutton said the "candy buyback" program has three primary benefits for participating students. She said the primary benefit is to prevent excessive sugar consumption which can lead to hyperactivity and cavities in developing youth. Another obvious benefit is the students have the opportunity to give back to their community by supporting troops deployed overseas. The final benefit is the students exchange their candy for a prize from Sutton's prize box. Sutton expressed her surprise at the success of this year's program. "I am humbled by the generosity of students and the willingness of our teachers and staffs to undertake this act of kindness and caring," she said. "My classroom was filled with boxes collected from every school. "After weighing each one, volunteers from...JBER transported the boxes to the American Legion for shipment to the troops," Sutton continued. "The extraordinary amount of donated candy has allowed the Legion to expand its donations to include our candy in Christmas stockings as well as care packages shipped throughout the year."