For New England Allergy Sufferers, Laughter is Often the Best Medicine
Boston, Mass. (PRWEB) April 28, 2016 -- In addition to their passion for the Boston Red Sox, millions of New Englanders share another thing in common: allergies. One in five New England residents have an allergy to pollen, food, or mold, among other allergens, and work hard to navigate their days around these to live safer, healthier lives. The number of allergy sufferers is increasing across the New England states, and throughout the US, with no clear reason why.
That's why organizations like the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) New England Chapter -- which helps children and adults learn how to manage their allergies in various settings and work in communities and with the media to raise the awareness about the seriousness of potentially life-threatening allergies -- are so critical. The AAFA New England Chapter is the only local organization to provide services to help New Englanders manage their asthma, food and other allergies. By providing support for allergy research, AAFA New England Chapter helps New Englanders live active and healthy lives.
Another thing many New Englanders have in common is a great, and unique, sense of humor, and each year many look forward to "Laughter is the Best Medicine," an annual AAFA New England FUN-raiser designed to not only help raise funds for research, educational programs and support groups for allergy patients, but to also enjoy the camaraderie that exists in the region's allergy community. The Breath of Spring 2016 "FUN-raiser” will be held on Friday, May 6, 7 p.m. -- 11 p.m. at Newton Marriott Hotel and will feature a comedy performance by Boston's Improv Asylum and an auction.
"Our work is needed today more than ever before," said Debra Saryan, executive director of AAFA New England. "About three percent of the population is susceptible to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic shock to foods, medications, latex and insect stings. There has been a frightening 18 percent increase in food allergies in children in the last decade. Today, up to eight percent of U.S. children live with life threatening food allergies."
While organizations like AAFA New England are focused on allergy research, Breath of Spring 2016 sponsors like perfectly free™, non-dairy, allergy safe frozen treats, are dedicated to the development of allergy safe foods that allow food allergy families to enjoy treats that are free of the so-called Big 8 food allergens: dairy, wheat, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish. The Big 8 food allergens account for the vast majority of food allergies in the U.S. with more than 15 million Americans afflicted.
"We believe that only by working together with organizations like AAFA New England can we, as a community, make the lives of New England food allergy sufferers more enjoyable," said Kevin Murphy, CEO of WikiFoods, maker of perfectly free™ frozen treats. "While the AAFA New England Chapter continues on its mission on the research and education side of allergies, our contribution to this growing problem is to develop allergy friendly food products that are delicious, fun to eat, healthier than many traditional treats and safe for the entire family."
Ticket, sponsor, donation and auction information for the May 6 Breath of Spring 2016 event can be found at http://asthmaandallergies.org/events/breath-of-spring/.
About perfectly free™ Allergy Safe Frozen Treats
The Incredible Innovations brand is inspired by nature and dedicated to creating smart nutrition for a better world. Incredible Innovations is part of WikiFoods, Inc., a Boston-based company that uses a proprietary technique to wrap foods and beverages in edible packages made of natural ingredients – like the skin of a grape. The WikiFoods encapsulation process isn’t just a barrier against water loss and contaminant entry, it’s also a delicious vehicle for nutrition. Learn more at http://www.perfectlyfree.com.
About AAF New England Chapter
The AAFA New England Chapter serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont residents affected by asthma and allergies. We serve patients of all ages. Also, we provide resources for healthcare professionals, caregivers, teachers and childcare providers. We work with our communities to make them better for those with allergies and asthma. For more information, visit AAFA New England Chapter.
Jim Barbagallo, Pilot Communications Group, LLC, +1 617-201-9200, [email protected]
Share this article