Creating smiles locally and abroad is what Los Alamitos dentist Edward Luong, D.M.D., is doing by paying ‘trick or treaters’ of all ages for their candy, then sending it off to soldiers overseas.
Creating smiles locally and abroad is what Los Alamitos dentist Edward Luong, D.M.D., is doing by paying ‘trick or treaters’ of all ages for their candy, then sending it off to soldiers overseas.
Dr. Luong is having a $1 per pound buyback of Halloween candy between now and November 8, at his office at 3551 Farquhar Ave., Suite 103 in Los Alamitos. “I hope to have more than 100 pounds of candy,” he said. “It’s a good way to get kids to give up candy and let the troops know we are thinking of them.”
Dr. Luong is partnering with Operation Gratitude, a non-profit that sends care packages to U.S. service members who are deployed in hostile regions, to their children left behind, to wounded warriors, veterans and first responders. Operation Gratitude has sent more than 815,000 care packages since their beginning in 2003, and sends more than 100,000 packages annually.
“I think it’s a good way to boost morale,” said Dr. Luong. “This is my first year doing this.”
Care packages containing snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation are assembled in Van Nuys at the Army National Guard armory. Operation Gratitude’s mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member and express to the Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people, according to their website at www.operationgratitude.com.
Several of Dr. Luong’s staff members have either had family in the military in the past or present, and he also treats patients who are in the military. He began his practice in June, taking over for now retired dentist Mark Mallet, D.D.S., who had a 40-year long practice in Los Alamitos. He came to the United States from Vietnam as a toddler in 1981, specifically from a refugee camp in Malaysia, and said that his father also served in the Vietnamese Military.
“It’s very rare, but my whole family is now together in the U.S.,” he said. “We are very fortunate.”
In the spirit of gratitude, Dr. Luong wants to keep giving back to the community and plans to continue partnering with Operation Gratitude and other non-profits. “We plan on doing more for the community for the holidays, giving to Toys for Tots, too.”
To get cash for candy, please call Dr. Luong’s office at 562-596-1655. For more information on Operation Gratitude, visit their website at www.operationgraitude.com.