Quincy Medical Group issued the following announcement on Oct. 24.
What is the Teal Pumpkin Project?
The holidays are coming quickly, which means it is almost time for Halloween. Traditionally Halloween has been a day where children can bet on one thing, CANDY! No, this is not a blog post telling you to lock your children up that day and make them eat raw broccoli, but rather a post to explain how we can make this holiday inclusive for children with food allergies.
According to Food Allergy Research and Education, 1 in 13 children have a food allergy. The most common allergens are foods that unfortunately happen to also be pretty common, such as: milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, treenuts, soy, fish, and shellfish. For these children Halloween can be a source of stress and constant worry because most single serving candy does not even list the ingredients on the label. Imagine having to sit out Halloween year-after-year all because there is an unknown risk of anaphylaxis or even death.
Luckily, that is where the Teal Pumpkin Project comes in. Participating homes have the option of a treat such a candy, but also offer the option of a toy or item for those that cannot partake in food items. These non-food items do not need to break the bank, stop by a local dollar store to get items in bulk such as:
Pencils
Stickers
Slinkys
Spider rings
Slime
Coins
Playing cards
Glow sticks
Bubbles
So many more!
Being a part of this is easy, either paint a pumpkin teal or go to foodallergy.org and print out a Teal Pumpkin Project sign. Then, simply ask trick-or-treaters if they prefer candy or a toy. This small gesture is enough to make the night fun and inclusive for all children. After all, Halloween is supposed to be enjoyable!
Original source can be found here.
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