Jim Russell, his daughter Markie Russell and Cecelia Weber were important players in MSA's efforts to obtain and send more than 500 pounds of candy to troops overseas following Halloween.

CRANBERRY TWP — Taking candy from children is usually frowned upon. But, teaching them the value of giving back by donating their excess Halloween candy in support of U.S. troops is a great opportunity to learn about sacrifice and generosity.

This past Halloween, Women at MSA (WMSA), a leadership business group tied to MSA Safety Inc., sponsored a candy giveback campaign in which associates and their families were invited to donate their extra sweet treats, write letters of support and provide other items that are needed by troops.

Eleven-year-old Markie Russell, daughter of MSA associate Jim Russell, became interested in community service activities in 2014.

For the past three years, Markie, a sixth-grade student at St. Kilian Parish School, has volunteered in a variety of ways to support the troops, and she “instantly got to work collecting treats within her various networks,” Russell said.

Markie presented WMSA, MSA's first chartered Employee Resource Business Group dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion, with letters students wrote for the troops from Marshall Middle School and three large boxes of treats.

“I was inspired to participate in Treats for Troops because helping people has always been something that I love,” Markie said, “and I have family members that were in the Army. I know that the troops need the treats more than me.”

Cecelia Weber, a member of the WMSA leadership team and MSA global e-business and instructional technology specialist, said she wanted to do something to support the troops in honor of her uncle, who served as a master sergeant in the Marine Corps.

In her research, Weber found Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends care packages to active U.S. service members deployed overseas. Weber presented the idea to WMSA which was accepted.

This is the second year WMSA has sponsored the campaign, and the group collected more than 500 pounds of candy and 265 personal items this year.

“This truly exemplifies the spirit of service and gratitude to our military from our associates and their families,” Weber said. “It may be a simple piece of candy or a small item to us, but to the troops who are thousands of miles away from their loved ones, it represents a reminder that they are not forgotten.”

For more information on the project or to learn more about collaborative participation, contact Cecelia Weber at cece.weber@msasafety.com.