A new twist was added to this year’s annual candy drive for the troops. Dr. Riopelle and his daughter Natalie of San Ramon, CA offered prizes totaling $1750 to the first, second, and third place winners of the candy drive. Local students serving in their student councils and leadership programs collected hundreds of pounds of candy for Blue Star Moms, an organization of mothers who have children that serve or have served in the military.
The following are the winners and the prizes awarded by Dr. Riopelle:
1st Place: Rancho Romero Elementary- $1000
2nd Place: Montair Elementary School- $500
3rd Place: Stone Valley Middle School – $250
With the prize money, the students purchased Christmas gifts and goods for local refugees from the Congo, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Bhutan, based in Oakland, CA. They also purchased Christmas presents to give to children in Tijuana, Mexico and supported the kids at Open Arms in Tijuana.
Thank you Dr. Riopelle for your donation and rewarding the students for their hard work! It is amazing to see such generosity come full circle.
