At this time of year, as kids hit the streets in costume looking for candy, many also take the opportunity at Halloween to trick-or-treat for charity.

However, a pair of Sammamish kids are taking their efforts to the next level for the benefit of the United Nations International Childrens’ Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

Ajay Gupta, 11, along with his sister Reva, 9, are in their third year campaigning for “Trick or Treat for UNICEF,” distributing small orange donation boxes throughout the community to be collected after Halloween.

“UNICEF takes that money and helps children in need,” Ajay said. “It helps children in places where there is war, where there is not enough water or where they can’t go to school.”

What sets the Guptas apart is that while many kids just bring the box with them on Halloween night, Ajay and Reva distribute hundreds of boxes. Last year, their efforts raised about $2,000 for UNICEF.

As part of their work, Ajay and Reva have been distributing boxes and giving presentations to classrooms throughout the Issaquah and Sammamish area.

“It was really cool to see all of these young kids looking up and listening to what I was saying about this project,” Ajay said. “I could see they were really excited, and a lot of kids wanted a box.”

Ajay said that while Halloween was a time when a lot of kids went out to collect free candy, around the world many kids can’t get what they need to survive, like clean water, food or medicine.

To date, the Guptas have distributed about 250 boxes. The pair hopes to raise more money than last year.

“I like seeing how much more money we’re raising compared to the last two years,” Reva said. “So many more people are getting to know about UNICEF and are donating more and more money.”

While Ajay attends Open Window School in Bellevue, and Reva attends Samantha Smith Elementary in Sammamish, both work closely with former schools they attended when they began the project in 2012.

“I did a presentation to my old school, Snoqualmie Springs Elementary, and we received this email from the teacher,” Reva said. “One of the students’ parents sent her an email, which said that he was so excited, he was going to dump his whole piggy bank into the box.”

Despite the difficulty of coordinating and promoting such a large drive year after year, the Guptas’ mother, Vinaya Kulkarni, could not be prouder.

“They started small with just one or two classes, and it’s been great to see them take it to more schools, more classrooms,” Kulkarni said.

All proceeds benefit UNICEF. According to the UNICEF web site, a $1 donation can buy a 40-day supply of clean water for one child, while a $10 can vaccinate more than 200.

For more information or to find out how to get a donation box, email ajay4unicef@outlook.com.