Havel Elementary student organizes charity with sweet surprise

A Havel Elementary student created a sweet surprise for area families and U.S. troops overseas.

Aubrey Richards created a school-wide drive that collected 224 pounds of candy.

“I felt bad for the kids that didn’t get to go trick or treating or get any candy at all,” Richards said.

The fifth-grader worked with Principal Kristina Barel to create incentives for students to donate candy.

In the end, she was able to donate 25 pounds to a local food bank for Thanksgiving baskets and nearly 200 pounds to Operation Gratitude - an organization sending care packages to U.S. Military members.

“I was definitely surprised at the 224 pounds of candy collected,” she said.