Food Allergy Awareness Week Challenge!

If you contact the media about Food Allergy Awareness Week remember to bring up the new peanut butter Oreo. This is another example of the food industry continuing to introduce peanut and peanutbutter versions of foods while the instances of peanut allergy among children have dramatically increased. It is becoming more and more difficult to find prepackaged foods, particularly "snack" foods, that are produced on dedicated peanut free equipment.

Will do!!

I am also going to ask my family (those who "get it") to do so as well.

[img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Forgive me, but when is Food Allergy Awareness Week?

It looks like May 5-11, 2002 according to Corvallis Mom. Check out her post a couple of topics down on this thread titled:
Heads Up! Food Allergy Awareness Week!!!

[This message has been edited by Love my C (edited April 10, 2002).]

Well, I have contacted news agencies from Eugene to Vancouver WA.... we'll see if it works.

Lori- have you called the governor's office yet? I will as well, in any case.

If anyone needs any ideas, here is what I am sending out:

I am writing to remind you that May 5-11, 2002 is Food Allergy Awareness Week. I am also asking that you consider running a piece highlighting food allergies to mark this week. Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW) is a national campaign which spreads awareness about food allergy and what to do when allergic reactions occur so that fatalities can be prevented. For additional information, including media kits and press releases, please contact The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, [url="http://www.foodallergy.org,"]www.foodallergy.org,[/url] e-mail Traci Tavares at [email]media@foodallergymail.org[/email], or call their toll-free number at 1-800-929-4040. Some of the current facts about food allergy in the U.S. include:

 Allergic reactions to food are an inappropriate immune response to a normally harmless food protein. When the immune system detects the food protein, it directs many cells in the allergic person

I contacted a local news station and got a form e-mail response. No personal touch at all. I contacted the local paper, have not heard from them. Any ideas how to get people to take this seriously? I would love to help spread the word this way, but don't seem to be having much luck. I'll keep trying. Kristi

It would be helpful for people to put what state/city/country they are working in, whom they are trying to contact. Apart from that it takes multiple phone calls to newspapers. You need to know the corect person to talk to(ask when you call), what section it comes nder in your paper(again,ask) and if at all possible, go in person. Newspapers typically get press releases from all kinds of people,groups,etc... everyday. You need to make your message personal. Tell them why this is important to you, how other people can benefit from their writing about it and keep calling or going by. The squeakiest wheel gets paid attention to.

Looking for IDEAS! I wrote to two local papers in my area regarding the Food ALlergy Awareness Week and one of them just called for an interview. She and a photographer will be here on Thursday to talk with my daughter and I. She was extremely interested and asked questions about my daughter's school too. Any suggestions other than the obvious information that I might want to bring to light here? I would appreciation any of your input. I have 3 days to prepare! I feel like I can bring the allergy out in the public eye here in town. I'm making a list of points and I know I'll miss some things, so please make suggestions based on your lives and experiences. Thanks!

Sent press release,food allergy basics and a short letter to all TV stations in Charlotte, NC. Also sent the info to a national Radio show (The Bob & Sheri Show)
that is based here in Charlotte. Faxed and wrote the Gov. We will see what happens.

That's a good idea to call the radio station. I never thought of that media. The local newspaper was here on Thursday and talked with my dd and I for almost 2 hours. The interview went well and they took a few pictures of my dd holding up an epi-pen with her medic alert bracelet showing. I told her about the problem with food labels and cross contamination. The reporter told us that she has a severe penicillen allergy. But she didn't have any idea what was involved with a severe food allergy. She said she is going to call the school and the pediatrician to ask them questions also. We'll see what they print in the actual article. She said it will be out either by next Thursday or the following. (It comes out every Thursday)

Here's the article minus the pictures. There were 2 pictures in the newspaper. One of Leah holding her epi with her medic alert bracelet showing and one of the cafeteria workers with their walkie talkie (ready for an emergency)showing. I think it was a good article. I would have liked more coverage on the labeling because she didn't report the negatives I stated about the FDA. And I think I also should have been more clear about the vaccine. But she interviewed Leah and I for 1 1/2 hrs. so she had quite alot of info to choose for the article. I had alot of parents that had no idea about the allergy come up to me at school and ask questions about it. So it did accomplish what I had hoped it would, and that is to raise awareness.
[url="http://www.thecoaststar.com/cs/04.25.02/allergy.html"]http://www.thecoaststar.com/cs/04.25.02/allergy.html[/url]

South Carolina Public TV is airing a program during this week-- the announcement is below. (It airs in Columbia, Spartanburg, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, etc.) If you ask your local PBS station, they might air it too as part of Allergy Awareness Week, or at least sometime in the future.

By the way, South Carolina Public TV is also doing a series of instructional programs in patnership with FAAN for school teachers and administrators in order to better educate them about food allergies. Those programs might also be available for intructional use in your schools...you can ask your PBS station if they provide programs to the schools-- many do!

South Carolina ETV
Focuses on Food Allergies
Columbia, SC-- Between six to seven million Americans are estimated to have a food allergy, and this number is continuing to rise. What can you do to prevent a possibly fatal food allergy reaction? Get the facts of course! South Carolina ETV presents a program hosted by Jim Welch which address food allergy detection and prevention: It Only Takes One Bite.

"We believe food allergy deaths can be prevented with improvements in awareness, recognition, and treatment," said Anne Munoz-Furlong, founder and CEO of FAAN (Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Network). Food allergies, their effects and how to treat them will be the topic of It Only Takes One Bite (5/5 at 7:30 p.m.).

Symptoms of food allergies affect the skin, respiratory system and the gastrointestinal tract. And, if left untreated, can be fatal. It is estimated that between 150-200 people in the United States die each year from food allergy-induced anaphylaxis

The Charlotte Observer ran an article on Food Allergy Awareness Week today! [url="http://www.charlotte.com"]www.charlotte.com[/url] the article is in Special Sections under Catawba local news.
Our minor league baseball team is having a Food Allergy Awareness Day. They are going to give us a peanut free section, free tickets to be given out by local allergists to food allergic kids. The consessions manager is going to give out all ingred. info. All of the faxing and calling was worth it!

Amy M.