UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State wants to collect 5,000 candy wrappers during the 2012-13 season to benefit the charity Feeding America. Through a TerraCycle program called the Candy Wrapper Brigade, which awards points for each wrapper collected, the Center for the Performing Arts would be able to provide 200 meals through Feeding America, a national charity with the mission to provide nourishment to America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks. “We’ve had lots of requests to do something to help people more locally,” said Peg Lucas, a member of the Center for the Performing Arts Green Team. “Since we have participation from people who live in numerous counties, and it’s more profitable through TerraCycle® to use points than actual monetary value in return for wrappers collected, we decided that the Feeding America program is about as local as we can get. Our goal of 5,000 wrappers is equal to 200 meals versus $250.” Last season the performing arts center collected more than 6,400 wrappers that were redeemed to provide clean drinking water for a year to 43 people in developing countries. Patrons attending events at Eisenhower Auditorium, on the corner of Shortlidge and Eisenhower roads at University Park, may place used candy wrappers in lobby collection boxes. Eligible waste -- from auditorium concession sales or from home or office use -- includes individual candy wrappers, large candy bags and multi-pack candy bags. Candy wrappers and bags may also be dropped off at Eisenhower during regular business hours, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or at the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center (146 S. Allen St., State College), weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Penn State employees may send candy wrappers and bags via campus mail to Pam Aikey, Eisenhower Auditorium, or Shannon Bishop, Penn State Downtown Theatre Center. Each year millions of candy wrappers are needlessly thrown away, and most end up in landfills. TerraCycle® partners with Mars®, Wrigley® and Cadbury® to create a second life for candy packaging, but all brands of wrappers and candy bags are accepted for the recycling program. Learn more about the program at www.terracycle.net. Find out what else is going on at the Center for the Performing Arts at www.cpa.psu.edu.