It’s that time of the year again when the kids will be busy carving their pumpkins. Have you seen any teal pumpkins on neighbour’s door steps? These teal pumpkins represent an initiative called the Teal Pumpkin Project. The color teal is allergy awareness. A recent study estimated that 1 in 13 Canadians are affected by food allergies. Furthermore, 6.9 percent of children under the age of 18 have at least one food allergy. Trick or treating for most kids is their favorite part of halloween. Trick or treating is not a fun event for children and parents of children with food allergies. Finding treats without common food allergens such as peanuts, nuts, soy, and wheat is challenging. The teal pumpkin project was developed by a group called Food Allergy Community in East Tennessee (FACET) to spread awareness around food allergies during Halloween. Last year 14 countries including Canada participated in this nationwide initiative. The teal pumpkin project aims t0 raise awareness and promote inclusion, fun and safety for all at Halloween.
In 2014 the Food, Allergy, Research and Education (FARE) organization in the United States began supporting the teal pumpkin project and has a variety of education resources and flyers.
How to participate in the teal pumpkin project:
Paint a teal pumpkin outside your front door.
Print posters and signs and place in your window. For free downloads and FARES guidelines visit their site www.fare.com.
Offer safe non food treats such as tattoos, glow bracelets, stickers, and spider rings.
Spread awareness and tell your family, friends, and co workers.
We are lucky that no one in our house has any food allergies. We will support kids this Halloween by providing non food items as an alternative and painting a teal pumpkin.
For tips on how we handle all the “Halloween craziness” check out the post how we handle all the halloween candy.
Wishing you and your family a Happy and Safe Halloween!
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