Children of Selma and Dallas County have a serious sweet tooth. They have an appreciation for candy, but apparently, their love for giving is much stronger.

Sponsored by Wood Orthodontics and Children’s Dentistry of Central Alabama, the second annual Candy Buyback Program allowed children from ages 2 to 14 to donate pounds of their left over Halloween candy to U.S. troops in exchange for $1 and one goodie bag per pound of candy.

This year, Wood Orthodontics collected 149 pounds of candy donations, 52 pounds more than they collected in the first year of the program.

“I’m sure the biggest motivation was the fact that it was going to our service men and women overseas,” Wood Orthodontics’ Stephanie Holbrook said. “If anybody hears about that they want to help out that cause.”

Wood Orthodontics sent 150 toothbrushes along the candy donations to promote oral health care to the troops.

With a 32.2-pound candy donation, Rebecca McIntyre’s second grade class at J.E. Terry Elementary was awarded a pizza and ice cream party courtesy of program sponsors Papa Johns and Sweet Advantages. The class, collectively, brought in the most candy of any class participating in the program.

Their party is scheduled for Friday.

The John T. Morgan Academy Parent-Teacher Association received a $500 reward following the children at the school bringing in a combined 39.7 pounds of candy, less than a pound more than children from J.E. Terry.

“The lovely thing about the program was it wasn’t just candy,” Holbrook said. “Children that donated candy also wrote letters and drew pictures for the service men and women.”

Holbrook said the letters was a new feature the troops would appreciate.

“Candy is one thing, but when you are getting letter from a child being appreciative, that is sweeter than candy,” she said.