The FPIES Foundation Joins with Food Allergy Research & Education In Support of the Teal Pumpkin Project® This Halloween

The FPIES Foundation is pleased to announce its pledge of support for the Teal Pumpkin Project^®, a worldwide movement to create a safer, happier Halloween for all children.

The Teal Pumpkin Project, which launched as an international campaign in 2014 by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), provides an alternative for kids with food allergies, as well as other children for whom candy is not an option, and keeps Halloween a fun, positive experience. Participating in the campaign is as simple as buying inexpensive non-food treats such as glow sticks or small toys and placing a teal pumpkin on your doorstep to show non-food treats are available. Those who do not have a teal pumpkin can still participate by handing out non-food treats and hanging a poster which can be downloaded for free from the Teal Pumpkin Project website. FARE’s goal in 2016 is to have at least one home on every block in the U.S. with a teal pumpkin.

The FPIES Foundation joins with FARE in spreading awareness of the Teal Pumpkin project through sharing FARE’s free resources for families to print & share on our website blog and social media. 

You can participate by :

• Providing non-food treats for trick-or-treaters
• Placing a teal pumpkin in front of your home to show you have non-food treats available
• Displaying one of FARE’s free printable signs to explain the meaning of your teal pumpkin
• Spreading the word in your online community. Be sure you’re following FARE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and contribute to the conversation using #TealPumpkinProject
• Download free activities for kids  from FARE

“We are so pleased that The FPIES Foundation is helping to spread awareness about this year’s Teal Pumpkin Project^® campaign, as we believe a unified effort will create even greater participation, leading to a more widespread understanding of the severity of food allergies and the impact that this disease has on millions of children,” said Lois A. Witkop, FARE’s chief advancement officer. “Together, we can help ensure a safer, happier Halloween for all.”

For more information, including free printable signs, stickers, posters, flyers and other materials, visit www.tealpumpkinproject.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 improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide them hope through the promise of new treatments. Our work is organized around three core tenets: LIFE – support the ability of individuals with food allergies to live safe, productive lives with the respect of others through our education and advocacy initiatives; HEALTH – enhance the healthcare access of individuals with food allergies to state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment; and HOPE – encourage and fund research in both industry and academia that promises new therapies to improve the allergic condition. For more information, please visit www.foodallergy.org and find us on Twitter @FoodAllergy, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.

This post was contributed by FARE.  "The TEAL PUMPKIN PROJECT^® and the Teal Pumpkin Project^® logo are registered trademarks of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE)." 

Allergy Cookie and the Teal Pumpkin Project: UPDATE

July 2015 Update: A message from Tiffany Rogers of Allergy Cookie: “I regret to inform you that you that due to a number of factors, including recent changes in the terms and dependability of our suppliers, we have decided not to sell Teal Pumpkins for our Walk Team or on our website this year. The good news is that FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project campaign is still alive and well and the food allergy community expects to continue to see a growth in support of it this year!  We are excited that Allergy Cookie will be helping to promote the Teal Pumpkin Project campaign and bring more awareness to food allergies, as well as encourage more people to use non-food treats to include ALL children.  Even though we won’t be selling pumpkins, my family still plans to reach out in our local community and encourage our friends, family, and neighbors to get involved.”

Tiffany Rogers founded a company called Allergy Cookie and they are offering specially designed Teal Pumpkins filled with non-food treats to handout on Halloween. They even have a special pumpkin available for FPIES - Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome. 

Tiffany is the mother of a 3 year old child with severe multiple food allergies. She and her husband also suffer food in tolerances. Her son's birthday just so happens to be Halloween and when he turned 3 she didn't want to think about explaining to him why on his birthday he wouldn't be able to have any of the treats from trick-or-treating. That's when she heard about FARE's 'Teal Pumpkin Project.' 

Families participate in the 'Teal Pumpkin Project' by handing out non-food treats on Halloween and identifying their house as allergy-friendly by painting a pumpkin teal. 

'It was such a blessing,' Rogers says, 'to have my son receive treats while trick-or-treating on Halloween night he could keep.' 

Rogers points out food allergies are not one size fits all and that's where Allergy Cookie's Teal Pumpkin products come in. In June, they have been offering the pumpkins as part of a special fundraiser competition with proceeds benefiting FARE and a variety of different food allergy organizations, including the FPIES Foundation. 

The hope is to raise research money and awareness. Rogers asks those without allergies to participate in the 'Teal Pumpkin Project' and think about what it could mean for a child, like her son, on Halloween. 

For more information on Allergy Cookie or their Teal Pumpkin Fundraiser, and how you can order your Teal Pumpkin for Halloween, please visit their page http://www.allergycookie.com/tealpumpkinfundraiser/

This post was written by the Executive Board of The FPIES Foundation