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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Sitting in the corner at Aesthetic Dentistry by Design is a child's dream come true: more than 500 pounds of candy.

Kids were able to trade in their candy at the office for cold hard cash, but there was one catch.

"We'll give you $1 per pound for that candy. In exchange we would also like you to write a letter of gratitude to our troops," Dr. Ken Gasper, a dentist at the office, said.

The candy and the letters are then sent to Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends care packages to troops overseas.

"They're doing a tremendous service for our country, and to be able to give them something like this makes them, it makes their day," Gasper said.

Alyssa Langness, a patient at the office, doesn't mind giving up her time or her candy for a soldier.

"I really appreciate what they're doing for us. Because we get freedom here which helps us survive a lot," Langness said.

And it's possible the letters are even sweeter than the candy the troops receive.

"It's just the fact that somebody in the U.S. took the opportunity to think about them in some fashion, some small fashion, that I think is the most important thing," Gasper said.

Aesthetic Dentistry by Design collected 600 pounds of candy for Operation Gratitude.

They said they hope to top that next year.