Cash collected for candy at Weathersfield

CASH FOR CANDY- Kindergartner Eric Baumhover's raffle ticket won the $20 grand prize. A ticket was awarded for each halfpound of candy a student brought in. A total of 102 pounds of sweets was collected; one boy lugged in 8 pounds, a record haul.

When Wendy Williams' two children- a second-grader and a fifthgrader at Weathersfield Elementary- came home with more than four pounds of candy each on Halloween night, she knew she had to get some of it out of the house.

Williams is chair of the school's Wellness Committee, and providing healthier choices for the school's 325 kids is among her highest priorities. After doing some Internet research, Williams noticed that local dentists offer money for candy around the holidays.

"Kids can take it to the dentist's office and get $1 or $5 a pound for it," Williams said. "I decided, 'Why not do that at our elementary school?'"

Williams made up a flier encouraging kids to bring their candy to school last Friday, when a raffle with a cash prize would take place. The response was overwhelming; 75 to 100 students toted their trick-or-treat bags to school.

"I really wasn't sure how it was going to go over," Williams said. "But we had a huge turnout. Almost a third of the school participated, and we collected 102 pounds of candy."

For every half-pound they brought in, the students would get a raffle ticket. All students got a scented pencil for bringing in the minimum half-pound. One child lugged in 8 pounds of candy, the most of any of his peers.

At lunchtime, the raffle winner was chosen, with kindergartner Eric Baumhover winning the $20 prize.

- Joann Groff