FARE Walk For Food Allergy October 3rd

The FARE Walk for Food Allergy, presented by Mylan Specialty L.P., will raises critical funds and awareness in support of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) in its mission to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide hope through the promise of new treatments. This family fun event will be held on Saturday October 3rd at beautiful Sherwood Island State Park in Westport. Activities will include arts and crafts, live music, lawn games and The Teal Pumpkin Project! Registration begins at 1pm and the event is rain or shine.

With a dedicated committee including Helen Jaffe and Olivia English and Saira Rizvi, all of New Canaan, FARE CT hosted its inaugural FAREWalk for Food Allergy in 2014, drawing over 500 enthusiastic walkers and raising over $100,000, helping to advance food allergy research, education, advocacy and awareness initiatives.

Jocelyn Walls, Co-Chair of the 2015 Walk and a New Canaan resident, is the parent of five year old Elliot, who was born with a series of severe food allergies, including dairy, eggs, wheat, nuts, shellfish and sesame. “We walk so he knows he’s not alone, alongside a community of children, teens, and adults who live with the same hopes and fears that we do. If food allergies had a scarier or more scientific name, perhaps more people would recognize them for the scary disease they are. It is therefore incumbent upon us, with the support of FARE, to raise awareness and continue the research to find a cure.”

“Fifteen million people in the United States are living with food allergy, a life-altering and potentially life-threatening disease,” said Donna McKelvey, senior vice president and chief development officer at FARE. “It is for each of these individuals and their families that we work to find life-changing treatments, educate, advocate – and of course, walk. Every step we take and every dollar raised brings us closer to the day when we say FAREwell to food allergies.”

The 2014 FARE Walk for Food Allergy programs raised over $3 million. Participants can sign up individually or as part of a team. For more information, or to register or volunteer, visit www.foodallergywalk.org/connecticut2015 . Sponsorship opportunities remain available, enabling businesses to show their support for families who are managing food allergies.

ABOUT FAREFood 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 improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide them hope through the promise of new treatments. Our work is organized around three core tenets: LIFE – support the ability of individuals with food allergies to live safe, productive lives with the respect of others through our education and advocacy initiatives; HEALTH – enhance the healthcare access of individuals with food allergies to state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment; and HOPE – encourage and fund research in both industry and academia that promises new therapies to improve the allergic condition. For more information, please visit www.foodallergy.org and find us on Twitter @FoodAllergy, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.