Food Allergies in the United States
Our goal in expanding Food Allergy Awareness Week to a month-long initiative is to go beyond raising awareness in order to inspire action on behalf of everyone with food allergies...
McLean, VA (PRWEB) April 30, 2014
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to food allergy, announced Wednesday it is expanding this year’s Food Allergy Awareness Week by declaring the entire month of May as Food Allergy Action Month – a time to take action and make an impact on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies.
For nearly two decades, Food Allergy Awareness Week has provided an opportunity to bring attention to a life-altering and potentially life-threatening disease. The number of people affected by food allergies has grown in recent years, including a staggering 50 percent increase in the number of children with food allergies between 1997 and 2011. This year, Food Allergy Awareness Week will be observed May 11-17.
“FARE is committed to finding a cure for food allergies, and to making the world safer and more inclusive for individuals who are managing this disease,” said John L. Lehr, chief executive officer of FARE. “Our goal in expanding Food Allergy Awareness Week to a month-long initiative is to go beyond raising awareness in order to inspire action on behalf of everyone with food allergies so that we can improve understanding of the disease, advance the search for a cure, create safer environments and help people live well with food allergies.”
FARE has a number of initiatives and activities planned for Food Allergy Action Month that supporters can participate in, and across the country, families, individuals, schools and corporations will be observing the month in a variety of ways. Highlights of FARE’s May programming include:
- FARE’s Food Allergy Action Month calendar, which provides one action individuals can take each day to support the food allergy community.
- FARE is launching its first #TealTakeover – a coordinated community and social media campaign that encourages individuals, organizations, schools, and businesses to paint their community teal, the official food allergy awareness color. One example is Terminal Tower in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, which will be lit in teal on May 12.
- A generous and longtime supporter of FARE will be matching every general donation made during the month of May, up to $150,000 total. This gift allows supporters to double their impact to find a cure for food allergies, and to keep individuals with food allergies safe and included.
- On May 10, kicking off Food Allergy Awareness Week one day early, the CBS morning program Recipe Rehab will air a special food-allergy-friendly episode (check local listings) featuring a San Diego family managing food allergies.
- FARE will be hosting events such as the Third Annual Spring Luncheon in Chicago on May 9 and the FARE Walk for Food Allergy in Boise, Idaho on May 18.
FARE also has launched a comprehensive online headquarters -- http://www.foodallergyweek.org – that includes a number of resources to help make Food Allergy Action Month a success in local communities, including:
- Free Food Allergy Awareness Week posters that can be printed and posted in schools and community centers, and bookmarks that can be distributed to students. Premium versions can be purchased from FARE’s online store.
- A new infographic from FARE, Food Allergies in the United States, that can be used to help others understand the broad impact of food allergies.
- Free shareable graphics with food allergy facts that can help individuals spread the word on social media.
- Be A PAL: Protect A Life free educational materials to help teach children how to be a friend to someone with food allergies
- Awareness items, such as bumper stickers, teal ribbon lapel pins and FARE lapel pins, available for purchase.
- Official 2014 food allergy awareness T-shirts, the designs for which were voted on by the food allergy community, available through MASSCanvas.
- Materials to help individuals request a state proclamation formally recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Week.
Additional programs and information will be announced throughout the month. For more information about Food Allergy Action Month and Food Allergy Awareness Week, please visit http://www.foodallergyweek.org.
ABOUT FARE
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) works on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies, including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis. This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children in the U.S. – or roughly two in every classroom. FARE’s mission is to find a cure for food allergies, and to keep individuals safe and included. We do this by investing in world-class research that advances treatment and understanding of the disease, providing evidence-based education and resources, undertaking advocacy at all levels of government and increasing awareness of food allergy as a serious public health issue. For more information, please visit http://www.foodallergy.org and find us on Twitter @FoodAllergy, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.