Although all parents worry about their children’s safety, parents of children with food allergies have an additional challenge. Educating the public and raising funds for research are two ways parents, friends and families of children with food allergies are helping to widen the safety net.
FILE PHOTO Participants in the 2008 Walk for Food Allergy stroll along the Promenade in Long Branch Joining the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward a Cure in Long Branch on Sept. 12 are two well-known Monmouth County dads, newsman Brian Thompson and soap opera star Frank Dicopoulos.
Thompson, a New York News 4 reporter, will serve as the master of ceremonies of this year’s walk. He credits the increasing awareness of food allergies to efforts such as the FAAN walks and says it enables him to better concentrate on being a father.
Thompson’s daughter, Nikki, 14, “is a mature young woman who is very careful about her food allergy,” he said.
Still, her tree-nut allergy worries her, he said, due to reactions that are fresh in her mind. She always carries her epinephrine auto-injector.
Nikki Thompson is one of more than 60,000 New Jersey schoolchildren who have food allergies, which have no known cure. Nationwide, an estimated 150 people die every year from fatal reactions, and another estimated 50,000 seek treatment in emergency rooms for foodinduced anaphylaxis, according to FAAN. An estimated 12 million Americans, or one in 25 people, has food allergies.
Nikki’s mother, Lori Stokes, an anchor for WABC-TV News, also has food allergies.
Frank Dicopoulos, the star of television’s longestrunning soap opera, CBS-TV’s “Guiding Light,” for 22 years, is this year’s honorary chairman.
“Educating the public and our own children about food-allergy safety is key and gives us peace of mind when they are away from us,” said Dicopoulos.
Both Dicopoulos and his teenage daughter have food allergies.
“I am proud to be involved again this year,” said Dicopoulos, who was the master of ceremonies for last year’s inaugural walk.
That walk was attended by approximately 1,000 people, raised more than $150,000, and was awarded the title “Best New Walk of 2008” by FAAN.
The walk will begin at 10 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Great Lawn, north of Pier Village, Long Branch; check-in is at 9 a.m. Following the walk, children’s singer/songwriter mr. RAY will headline a free concert. The son of mr. RAY’s booking manager, the daughter of a band member, as well as two children who sing with the mr. RAY band, have food allergies.
Magician Bruce Bray will also perform and there will be appearances from costumed Star Wars characters. State Sen. Sean Kean will speak about legislation regarding food allergies in schools.
FAAN will also advocate for the FAAMA law at the walk. The Food Allergy and AnaphylaxisManagementAct (FAAMA) would create voluntary national guidelines to assist schools in managing students with food allergies and anaphylaxis.
Participants will be asked for their signature so that the walk chairpersons can present signatures to representatives to help facilitate passing of the FAAMA in 2009. The act was passed by the House in 2008 but was not taken up in the Senate before it adjourned.
The Walk for Food Allergy raises awareness and funds for food allergy education and research. The walks are held nationwide to support FAAN, an international nonprofit organization that provides information about food allergy to the media, schools, health professionals, the food industry and government officials, as well as the food allergy community.
According to FAAN, the Walk for Food Allergy events have raised more than $6 million for the past five years. The organization anticipates that $2.79 million will be raised to benefit scientific food allergy research this year.
“As of right now, our numbers are showing us that we can expect 1,200 to 1,500 walkers this year,” said Veronica Scanlon, of Little Silver, who is co-chairing the Long Branch Walk with Jo Ann Molnar of Rumson and Cheri Golub of Manalapan. “However, even though we will have more walkers than last year, our fundraising efforts have been down. We realize that it’s a busy time of year — with back to school and sports, but we hope that people will come out to support their families, friends and others affected by food allergies. It’s a great day to come out and have some fun and to also help make a difference as we continue Moving Toward a Cure.”
Molnar, who began the walk in Long Branch last year, said the Food Allergy Support Group of Monmouth County will have a table with informational material.
Greater Media Newspapers is one of the media sponsors for the Sept. 12 walk. Lester Glenn Auto Group and Dean’s Natural Food Market return as corporate sponsors. To register for the Long Branch Walk, visit the Internet website at www.foodallergywalk.org/longbranch_nj, or send an email to longbranchchair@foodallergy. org.