Students at two Catonsville elementary schools showed their support for American troops in the form of 1,600 pounds of Halloween candy.

From Nov. 2-6, students at Westchester Elementary School on Old Frederick Road and Hillcrest Elementary School on Frederick Road donated their Halloween treats for shipment to U.S. troops in Iraq.

The gesture is part of a nationwide program, Operation Gratitude, that sends care packages to faraway troops.

School officials said local dentists participated in the efforts, and promised a pizza party for the grades that donated the most candy at each school.

The top grade at Westchester was the second-grade taught by Kim Noppenberger, Kimberly Brady, Mara Lebowitz and Sue Shepp.

Their second-grade counterparts at Hillcrest, taught by Michelle Rodriguez, Rebecca Wenk, Amy Favinger, Leslie Molofsky and Kate Jaudon, also came out on top.

Choti Jahnigen, a Catonsville resident whose son is in fifth grade at Hillcrest, said the students who donated their candy were awarded with goody bags and gold dollar coins.

"The response was just incredible," Jahnigen said. "Parents would say, 'I don't know how the teachers did it, but the kids couldn't wait to bring their candy in.' The children were so cute walking in, handing in all their Halloween candy."

Kathy Sours, assistant to principal Peggy DeCrispino at Westchester, said the candy donations benefited everyone involved.

"It's a great way to bring the community, the staff and the kids together," she said. "Besides, kids don't really need that much candy."

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