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Community News: FARE WALK FOR FOOD ALLERGY COMES TO LAS VEGAS AREA
There are 15 million Americans with food allergies, which means there are 15 million reasons to join the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) Walk for Food Allergy in Las Vegas, where global parenting expert Jo Frost, National Ambassador of the FARE Walk for Food Allergy, will be on hand to help raise critical funds to find a cure and to increase awareness about this growing public health issue.
Frost will lead the charge at the FARE Walk for Food Allergy in Las Vegas, a family-friendly event that will be held at 11:00 am on Sunday, November 2 at Cornerstone Park, 1600 Wigwam Parkway, Henderson, NV 89074.
The FARE Walk for Food Allergy, presented by Mylan, unites thousands of people nationwide in seeking a cure and a safe and inclusive world for people with food allergies. The 2013 walk raised a record-breaking $3.6 million nationwide for food allergy research, education, awareness and advocacy. With so many people affected by food allergies, everyone has a reason to walk.
“Food allergy is a life-altering and potentially life-threatening disease that affects a growing number of people in the United States and worldwide” said Donna McKelvey, senior vice president and chief development officer at FARE, the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to food allergy. “Together, FARE and the food allergy community are working to find a cure, to educate, to advocate, and to raise awareness. Every step we take, every dollar raised by our dedicated supporters and sponsors, brings us closer to the day when we say FAREwell to food allergies.”
This summer, Frost was named as the first National Ambassador of the FARE Walk for Food Allergy. Known for her television shows such as “Supernanny” and best-selling books including Jo Frost’s Toddler Rules, Frost was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies to nuts, shellfish, and rye as a child. Frost will be speaking and meeting with families at five FARE Walk for Food Allergy events in 2014.
“For the last two years, I have proudly supported my local FARE Walk for Food Allergy, and I am thrilled to be serving as the first National Ambassador for the FARE Walk for Food Allergy program,” Frost said. “This program raises critical funds and awareness to support FARE’s mission of finding a cure for food allergies and keeping individuals with food allergies safe and included. I am so pleased to help advance the cause of the food allergy community, and I hope you will join me in this effort.”
Among those joining Frost in Las Vegas is 14-year-old Mikayla Kelly, Miss Jr. Teen Nevada United States 2014, who is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. At two years of age, Mikayla broke out in hives on her face and body after consuming just a spoonful of peanut butter. Soon thereafter, a doctor confirmed Mikayla’s allergy, and now, she carries an Epi-Pen and Benadryl at all times. Mikayla, luckily, has never had an anaphylactic reaction, but she still faces other challenges.
“When I was four years old, I ate fruit jelly snacks and broke out in hives all over my body. My mom read the ingredient label and found out that the fruit jelly snacks were processed in a factory that shared equipment with peanuts and tree nuts. When I was in 2nd grade, I sat between two students eating peanut butter sandwiches and broke out in hives all over my body just from being around it. Ever since, I’ve been assigned to sit at the peanut and tree nut free table at lunch until I graduated from 8th grade. There was another time when I had a strawberry banana shake [at a popular chain], and I immediately felt sick to my stomach and violently threw up. I later learned that the blender had been cross-contaminated with a peanut butter shake and was not cleaned properly. Another time, I took a bite of sample pizza [at a store] and found out it had pesto sauce which had pine nuts in it. My tongue immediately felt numb and different, and I was scared and nervous,” said Mikayla.
When she was crowned Miss Jr. Teen Nevada United States 2014, Mikayla chose food allergy awareness as her platform, and she is the honorary teen chair for the Las Vegas FARE Walk for Food Allergy. “FARE is a great resource organization that has helped me understand my food allergies and how to prevent them and be in better control of then. There is no cure for food allergies, and I want to be a voice that helps educate, raise awareness, raise money for research, and hopefully, help find a cure for food allergies,” she said.
The FARE Walk for Food Allergy is open to all. Participants can sign up individually or as part of a team. For more information, including registration, volunteer and sponsorship information, visitwww.foodallergywalk.org/lasvegas2014. Visit www.foodallergywalk.org for information on other walk locations throughout the United States.
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 find a cure for food allergies, and to keep individuals with food allergies safe and included. We do this by investing in world-class research that advances treatment and understanding of the disease, providing evidence-based education and resources, undertaking advocacy at all levels of government and increasing awareness of food allergy as a serious public health issue. For more information, please visit www.foodallergy.org and find us on Twitter @FoodAllergy, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.
