October 2020 Newsletter

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Troopathon: So nice we are bringing it to you twice!

Many of you joined us for the original broadcast of Troopathon – Care Packages for our Heroes on Newsmax  TV on September 12, 2020, so big thanks for tuning in and supporting our troops! For those who missed Troopathon, no worries!

We have an exclusive encore performance scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2020! 

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We knew going into Troopathon that we would be facing a cavalcade of unprecedented challenges. With Covid-19 ever present, we had to find a way to safely bring our loyal supporters and patriots our annual Troopathon, we just couldn\’t let our troops down. We had to scale back and change Troopathon to a 1 hour show to keep all our hosts, guests, and crew safe.

On September 12, we brought to you an amazing event in association with Newsmax TV featuring our fantastic hosting crew of Melanie Morgan, broadcasting from our Sacramento operations center and legendary journalist, author and host Rita Cosby coming to you from her home studio in New York. These two powerhouses pulled off a successful Troopathon with messages of support from across the spectrum from our own troops, to pro-troop supporters like Shawn Hannity, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham and Rush Limbaugh, Coach K, Hulk Hogan, John Harbaugh, Dean Cain and many more.

Tune in on October 3rd to see all our special guests support our thousands of deployed troops serving in hot spots across the globe as they risk their lives to protect our freedoms. Please join us for this special encore presentation of Troopathon, it will inspire, inform, and uplift you as it did us.

MAF continues our partnership with Halloween Candy Buyback program

It might be slightly different this year, with face masks and social distancing, but our kids love Halloween. In many communities, it will be allowed for our little princesses and ghosts to take to the streets in their favorite costume as they travel their neighborhoods collecting sugary bounty. We know their familiar battle cry! \”Trick-or-Treat!\”

This Halloween ritual is familiar to children and parents alike and having something fun to celebrate this year is especially important. Halloween provides our children with a familiar celebration that can make this crazy year feel just a bit more normal. The kids will head back home with their sack full of loot and excited tykes search through the array of candy and treats to seek out their favorites. Who doesn\’t love a little candy?

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In reality, do you really want your kids consuming pounds and pounds of sugar? Not to mention, many parents are struggling to shed the Covid weight picked up during quarantine! So do we allow our kids to stuff their faces day after day or do we consider a win-win opportunity that affords us a chance to offload some of those sweet treats for a good cause?

Why not consider the Candy Buy Back Program as an option for at least some of your excess treats? As a bonus, it lets our kids put a few extra bucks in their piggy banks and do something truly special for our troops at the same time. There is something to be for teaching our children at a young age to think beyond themselves.

So how exactly does the Candy Buy Back work?

Participants, usually dental offices, buy back Halloween candy at a scheduled event. Traditionally November 1, but dates can vary, especially with November 1st being a Sunday and specific concerns surrounding Covid.

The dental office will often host a fun event where they weigh the candy and exchange it for cash, coupons, toothbrushes, etc. The dentists then ship all their collected candy and notes of good wishes and support to a select group of military support operations. Move America Forward is very proud to continue our partnership with the Candy Buy Back Program.

Since 2013, when we received our first donation from a Candy Buy Back program MAF has proudly partnered to ensure our troops receive extra candy and notes of love in their care packages thanks to children, families, dental practices and caring individuals throughout the county.

For extra good news, if you just don’t have a Candy Buy Back near you or don’t have the time to make it to one of their events, you can still send your excess candy directly to us, we will be happy to take it off your hands!  Just check out the information here to contribute.

It\’s fun, it\’s easy and our troops will thank you for your thoughtful contribution when they open a MAF care package made just for them full of extra Halloween goodies.

Start Fall off right by joining Monthly Smiles Program –Give the gift of year-round Smiles

Set up to schedule a monthly troop support package now and we will remember to send a package out through our Monthly Smiles Club for you each month. Our Monthly Smiles Club provides an easy way to keep those smiles coming all year long!

Life gets busy and sometimes you can forget to sponsor a care package as often as you might have intended. Remember, our brave troops are deployed all year long. As we head into Fall before the very busy Holiday Season starts take time to put our troops on your list for those who could used a little love from home. So while you are gearing up for little goblins and super heroes parading door to door for Halloween remember to give treat to our deserving troops.

It\’s super easy to do, all you need to do it check the box while you are sponsoring a care package and you will be all set! No contract or obligation, if things change you can stop at any time and we promise to make stopping just as easy as starting up your sponsorship.

Dr. Chris Kammer DDS, meet the man behind the Halloween Candy Buy Back

Dr. Chris Kammer DDS is the fun, hip dentist behind the Halloween Candy Buy Back, a fascinating mix of science and creativity who has been recognized by his peers as “America’s Favorite Dentist.” He is a founding member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and has auditioned for American Idol.

Yes, Dr. Kammer auditioned for American Idol where he performed his not-quite-a-hit with the judges personal anthem \”Get Out the Brush\” in his signature glitter suit while brandishing a giant toothbrush and some styling cool guy shades.

Even though Randy advised Dr. Kammer to \”Sing in your car only, with the windows up!\” Dr. Kammer, left undaunted, still determined to get his message on the importance of dental health out there. Almost two decades ago Dr. Kammer was writing a weekly press release for October and was trying to come up with a theme when it was suggested he write about kids and cavities since it was October and with Halloween coming why not.

Dr. Kammer\’s immediate response was \”No! My mind went to this place where we needed something different. I started thinking about Halloween, and all that candy, so what can we do with this?\” From their Dr. Kammer decided to do a Halloween Candy Buy Back, he didn\’t invent the idea, he candidly pointed out during our conversation, but after his first candy drive he decided \”This is something big, people want to do this, from there I built a web site and made it easy for dentists to do this in their own practices.\” With the Halloween Candy Buy Back well into its second decade, and still going strong, we are so happy Dr. Kammer decided to focus his attentions to a great cause that benefits our great troops.

Dr. Kammer said choosing the troops to benefit from the candy collection was a \”no-brainer\” and even when he is occasionally met with criticisms from well intentioned individuals who feel candy is an unhealthy thing to send the troops, Dr. Kammer is confident a little sweet treat now and then, especially in an adult who knows how to take care of their oral health, is just fine. \”I think the benefit of our troops being able to enjoy a little sweet treat from home is important, these people are out there risking their lives, and it is important for us to support our troops\” continued Dr. Kammer.

With thousands of pounds of candy being collected and donated each year, MAF is honored to help Dr. Kammer continue his mission of supporting our troops in a fun, creative manner which allows kids to pay it forward in a meaningful and memorable way. Thanks Dr. Kammer, Rock On!

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