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Health & Fitness

Union to make Halloween sweeter for Seattle-area childern

The Machinists Union has launched its annual Puget Sound candy drive to support a Salvation Army Halloween party.

SEATTLE – Machinists Union members are once again organizing a candy drive to benefit children living in the White Center neighborhood of Seattle.

Machinists Union District Lodge 751 is accepting donations of unopened, individually wrapped candy through Oct. 27 at all its Puget Sound union halls – in Auburn, Everett, Renton and Seattle.

(The Everett hall is at 8729 Airport Road.)

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The candy collected by the union is given to the Salvation Army of White Center so it can provide treats to children who attend its Halloween party, which its supports as a safe alternative to trick-or-treating.

But each year, the union collects enough candy to help the Salvation Army provide treats at other holiday celebrations as well, said Mark Johnson, a union business representative who leads the annual effort.

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“It tides them through Easter and sometimes into summer camp,” he said.

Last year, the union collected nearly a half-ton of candy.

Originally formed in 1935 to represent hourly workers at the Boeing Co., District Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers now represents some 29,000 working men and women at 45 employers across Washington, Oregon and California.  In 2010, District 751 members gave nearly 6,200 hours of volunteer community service and raised more than $276,000 for Guide Dogs of America, the union’s charity of choice.

Visit our YouTube channel to see a video of District 751 volunteers delivering last year’s half-ton of candy.

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