Sunday, September 18 at the Great Lawn
To register for the Walk:
www.foodallergywalk.org/longbranch_nj11
Join the Walk Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/FAAN-Walk-for-Food-Allergy-in-Long-Branch-NJ/135896663149275
To help educate and create awareness of this issue, the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) is taking place in Long Branch on September 18. The 3 mile walk starts on the Great Lawn, north of Pier Village and begins at 1pm with registration at noon.
Author Sloane Miller says she’s excited to be the Honorary Chair of the 2011 Walk. Sloane’s book, Allergic Girl: Adventures In Living Well With Food Allergies, is designed to offer insight and guidance on how to get more out of life while living with food allergies. “I have had food allergies my entire life and live a full life; I am committed to helping other people with food allergies do the same,” Miller says.
More than 60,000 New Jersey school children have food allergies, which have no known cure. One of those children is Middletown resident Courtney Smith who is the Honorary Youth Chair for the Walk. “Every year the Walk gets bigger and is more fun,” says Courtney who is 17 and severely allergic to milk. “I’ve learned to get my calcium and vitamins from fortified juices and fresh vegetables. I am careful about what I eat; I read food labels and carry Epi-pens (epinephrine).”
When asked if there is one thing she would like to share with younger kids with food allergies, Courtney says, “To not let a food allergy stop you from what you want to do or who you want to be. Life is more than what you can and cannot eat. Respect the allergy and be prepared for an emergency, but don’t be afraid to live your life.”
When Courtney was 7 years old, her mother Ginny started the Food Allergy Support Group of Monmouth County (FASGMC) with Dr. Tina Zecca, D. O., who continues to be their medical director. Dr. Zecca, of Allergy & Asthma Associates of Monmouth County, is the Honorary Medical Chair for the Walk, and was born and raised in NJ. She is board certified in both pediatrics and allergy/immunology.
“Recognizing the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction is one of the most important issues I have tried to educate on for both medical professionals and the general public. The importance of epinephrine in treating food allergies cannot be stressed enough." Dr. Zecca says. "The incidence of food allergy has risen considerably and it is wonderful having such an informative resource in FAAN.”
Post-walk activities include Buster the Lakewood BlueClaws mascot, American Bounce House Elephant, Star Wars characters, music by DJ Jeff Hofstein, games and crafts, and much more. Dey Pharma, the makers of Epi-pen, will also be offering a chance to win an iPad2!
Millennium Radio New Jersey is a presenting sponsor and will have 94.3 the Point and NJ 101.5 at the event. The Lakewood BlueClaws and Greater Media Newspapers are platinum sponsors.
In addition, the other sponsors that are handing out free ‘allergen safe’ food and drink samples are EnjoyLife, Sunbutter, HomeFree, Cherrybrook Kitchens, Divvies, Ian’s Natural Foods, Wegmans and more! For sponsorship opportunities, contact walklongbranch@foodallergy.org.
To register for the Long Branch Walk, click here.
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ABOUT FAAN
Founded in 1991, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is the world leader in information about food allergy, a potentially fatal condition that afflicts approximately 12 million Americans, or one out of every 25, and is rapidly increasing in prevalence. A nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, Va., FAAN has 30,000 members in the U.S., Canada, and 62 other countries. It is dedicated to increasing public awareness of food allergy and its consequences, to educating people about the condition, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by it. FAAN provides information and educational resources about food allergy to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. For more information, please visit FAAN at www.foodallergy.org.