UNE student-athletes trick-or-treat for Operation Gratitude

Members of the University of New England field hockey and women's lacrosse teams got an early start on trick-or-treating Monday evening (Oct. 31), in an effort to collect Halloween candy to donate to Operation Gratitude - a non-profit organization based out of California.

Throughout each year, Operation Gratitude sends care packages of various contents to U.S. Military personnel overseas, to Wounded Warriors on the road to recovery, or to related families back at home. The organization's mission is to "lift morale, bring a smile to a service member’s face, and express to our Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people."

The packages sent out around Halloween include both candy and tooth care products, so after soliciting donations of toothbrushes and toothpaste from dentists in Portland, and approximately 25 student-athletes broke up into small groups to visit neighborhoods in Biddeford, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport to collect all of the treats. Each member of both UNE teams will also be writing a letter to a specific individual or family supported by the organization.

For the local families that have leftover candy from Halloween and who would like to contribute to the Operation Gratitude cause, there will be a drop box located in the Campus Center in Biddeford until November 7, before the Nor'easters send their goods off to California.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.