Query criteria base on form string

Need help, should be easy - Access Xp:  I want criteria in a query's field to come from a value in a text box on a form.  For the control source of the text box I use code:

Public Sub AddToCriteria(FieldValue As Variant, FieldName As String, MyCriteria As String, ArgCount As Integer)
    'Create Control Source for AllStates TextBox
    If FieldValue <> "" Then
        'Add OR if other criteria exists
        If ArgCount > 0 Then
            MyCriteria = MyCriteria & " Or "
        End If
        'Append criteria to existing criteria
        'Enclose Fieldvalue in quotation marks
        MyCriteria = (MyCriteria & Chr(34) & FieldValue & Chr(34))

        'Increase argument count
        ArgCount = ArgCount + 1
    End If
End Sub

'This is a button I am using just for test until it works.
Private Sub GetString_Click()
Dim MyCriteria As String, ArgCount As Integer
'Initialize argument count
ArgCount = 0
MyCriteria = ""
'Use values in state boxes to create criteria
    AddToCriteria [AR], "[AR]", MyCriteria, ArgCount
    AddToCriteria [KY], "[KY]", MyCriteria, ArgCount
    AddToCriteria [LA], "[LA]", MyCriteria, ArgCount
    AddToCriteria [SD], "[SD]", MyCriteria, ArgCount
    AddToCriteria [TX], "[TX]", MyCriteria, ArgCount
    AddToCriteria [PR], "[PR]", MyCriteria, ArgCount

Me![AllStates] = MyCriteria
End Sub

This all comes from check boxes.  If ckAR is checked then textbox AR = 'AR' and so on...  The string part works, If i check AR & LA & TX I get  "AR" Or "LA" Or "TX"  in the [AllStates]text box.  Now I want the query that runs when a button is clicked to use this as criteria for the State field.  If I use
=Forms![frm Allocate]![AllStates]  
in the criteria I get no records.  How can I make this work?? Thanks
Lisa