A Boothbay Harbor specialty popcorn shop is sending veterans a sweet surprise. Coastal Maine Popcorn Co. collected surplus Halloween candy earlier this month for distribution to the region’s military veterans. The patriotic act is one CMPC has done in the past, but not last year. As Halloween 2018 approached, an employee asked co-owner Julie Roberts if the store was collecting candy for veterans this year.

“We just forgot about it last year,” she said. “Somebody asked if we were collecting candy this year so we put the word out on Facebook and received three five-gallon buckets full,” Roberts said.

Among those who donated candy were veteran trick-or-treaters Avery and Kameron Fowlie of Boothbay. When Avery, 8, donated his candy collected on Halloween, he looked the part. He showed up at the store dressed in his Halloween attire as a U.S. soldier. Roberts vividly remembered his donation. “He was the cutest little boy dressed up as a soldier when he donated. Ah! he was so cute,” she said.

Avery made the donation in appreciation for the sacrifices made by past and current veterans. “These soldiers can’t go home because they’re fighting for our freedom. So I donated my candy because I’m thankful for them,” he said.

Kameron, 6, dressed as Spiderman. Even at his young age, the pretend superhero knows with great power comes great responsibility. “Soldiers are super brave and fighting for us makes my heart feel pretty awesome to give them my candy,” he said.

In past years, the store sent donated candy to Soldiers' Angels Treats for Troops, a California-based  program. The non-profit Soldiers Angels ships donated candy to deployed service members or Veterans Administration hospitals. But this year, CMPC had its own sweet idea about donating locally collected candy. The store is sending candy directly to Boothbay region deployed soldiers. Roberts collected names and addresses of on-duty veterans and plans on shipping candy this week.