Join the teal pumpkin project on Halloween
(HealthDay)—Halloween can be ver-r-r-r-y frightful for kids with food allergies, but the Teal Pumpkin Project aims to make their trick-or-treating safer and more fun.
The initiative from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) asks people to offer non-food treats at Halloween, and to place a teal pumpkin or sign in view to let trick-or-treaters know such treats are available.
You can paint a pumpkin teal or get a teal pumpkin at a craft shop or drug store. A free sign is available at FARE's website.
One child in 13 in the United States has a potentially life-threatening food allergy, according to FARE.
"This year in particular, more people are becoming aware of how life-altering a food allergy diagnosis can be, and how difficult it can be to manage this potentially life-threatening medical condition," said Lois Witkop, FARE's chief advancement officer.
"We hope that everyone who participates in the fun tradition of Halloween will incorporate a teal pumpkin into their celebration, bringing smiles to the faces of kids with food allergies," she said in a FARE news release.
The Teal Pumpkin Project was launched nationally in 2014.
More information: The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on food allergies.
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