Jules Shepard Gluten Free Event Update

EVENT SOLD OUT!!!

Just wanted to let you all know of some updates for the upcoming Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Class at Earth Fare. The event is still being held this Sunday, July 12, 2009. Some timings have been updated for the event as noted below. I have attempted to contact everyone who has registered and most are okay with the changes.

The event will still begin at 10am on Sunday 7/12 but will feature a Gluten Free Vendor Fair at the Earth Fare store. The GF Vendor Fair will feature several GF food vendors with samples available for your tasting pleasure. Some of the vendors will include local gluten-free products, including Escazu Chocolates, Pepper Dog salsa and Bella Monica's frozen gluten-free pizza. Other vendors like Nature's Path, Namaste and Blue Diamond will also be included. Some of the details are still being worked out, but the idea is for you to have the opportunity to taste some of these GF products before you buy. We all know how expensive they are!

The Gluten Free Cooking Class with Jules Shepard will begin around 1pm instead of the original time of 10am. Jules will be teaching, cooking and providing samples of delicious Gluten Free foods like pizza, graham crackers, strawberry shortcake and Pop Tarts! She will also have copies available of both her cookbook Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten Free Eating and her latest book The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten Free. You may also purchase her cup-for-cup replacement Gluten Free Flour at the event and save on shipping costs.

Also, check out today's News & Observer article by columnist Andrea Weigl.

Click here to register for the event.
The deadline to sign-up online is Friday July 10th.

Recap: Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser

A huge, huge THANK YOU to everyone that participated, helped or donated funds to the 1st ever Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser held this past Saturday, 6/13.

I am proud to announce that the fundraiser collected $915 and that 100% of that is being donated to the Gluten Intolerance Group to fund Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata in Wake Forest, NC. This year's camp runs from June 21 - 27. I have received word that the following local companies are helping out with the camp in addition to the money raised by Gluten Free Raleigh - thanks to you guys for your support.

• Bella Monica Flatbread Company will be donating Gluten Free Pizzas - thanks Trevor
• Rosie's Plate will be donating Gluten Free cookies - thanks Rose
• Twin Cakes Bakery will be donating various Gluten Free baked goods - thanks Michelle and Lori
• Jules Shepard of Jules Gluten Free will be donating Gluten Free graham cracker mixes so the kids can enjoy s'mores - thanks Jules.
• Gluten Free Raleigh will also be donating Gluten Free wristbands (like Live Strong) and plans on coming up to camp to meet the kids and volunteers.
  

See below for pictures from the event.

June 13th Run/Walk Fundraiser Update

Race day is fast approaching... so here are a few updates...

The Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser to benefit Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored kids camp in Wake Forest, NC) will take place this Saturday, June 13th during the Susan Komen NC Triangle Race for the Cure. The race begins at 9am and our team will be meeting at 830am. Parking and shuttle information from the RBC Center can be found here. A map of the race course can be found here.

A team was created and 15 participants have joined the team (Zach, Jen, Bruce, Chari, Dave, Jayn, Britne, Joey, Tim, Dylan, Rita, Shelley, Liz, Emily, Mark & John). Three others were kind enough to pick the fundraising only option (Michele, Stacey and the CSA Support Group leader - Pat Berger). At this time, we have raised $385 for Camp Kanata! We have also raised $615 for the Komen Race for the Cure - 2 excellent causes! Congrats Team.

We will be meeting at 830am in the parking lot of the Burger King located on 3701 Hillsborough Street. This location is very close to the start/finish line for the Komen Race located near Meredith College. Let's all get together and walk in a group with our red Gluten Free T-shirts and help raise awareness for Celiac Disease and the Gluten Free Diet.

I'll be in the BK parking lot at 830a with the following items...

1. Komen T-shirt
2. Komen Race Plackard w/ Race #
   
3. Gluten Free Raleigh T-shirt

If you need your items before the race, please email me and I'll try to make arrangements to get them to you - I did not ship these items to you in an attempt to maximize the donation to GIG & Camp Kanata.

I will also have a few extra Gluten Free T-shirts available for those who did not sign up for the team or have found this information after the deadline to sign up. The T-shirts can be purchased for a $20 donation to GIG (cash only). You must register for the Komen Race separately (can do this on Race day) and I will not have your Komen items (you must pick them up yourselves).

I have not made any arrangements to have any special Gluten Free food items available after the race but I know in years past there have been plenty of GF items out there including Yoplait yogurt and fruit. Also, last year, the Whole Foods tent had GF energy bars (LaraBar I believe) in several varieties. FYI - I'm not the biggest Burger King fan, but here is their allergen menu - looks like you can get fries (supposed to be in a dedicated fryer - please double check) and the Tendergrill chicken salad.

Thanks to all who have supported this effort. I greatly appreciate it and I know the campers at Gluten Free week will also!

Run/Walk Fundraiser Update

Registration is now closed but you can still donate to the Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser for Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata. So far we've raised $380 towards the $500 goal for Camp Kanata. We've also raised $525 for cancer research! Please use the Fundraising Only option until Sunday June 7th. I'll be sending in the donation to GIG on Monday June 8th so they can utilize the money during camp beginning on June 21st.

For those of you who are running/walking, I'll send more information about the meeting place on the day of the race. Stay tuned.

Click here for more details and select the Fundraising Only option.

Final Day To Sign Up For Run/Walk Fundraiser

Reminder, today is Tuesday, May 26th and the FINAL day to sign up for the Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser to benefit Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata.

Click this link to sign up if you have not done so already.

At this point, we have raised $360 $320 $280 towards the $500 goal. Thanks to everyone who has helped out to this point. Myself, the GIG, Camp Kanata and the Gluten Free kid campers certainly appreciate it.

If you would like to donate to the cause but cannot participate in the run/walk, please see the link above and choose the 'fundraising only' option in the drop down.

Update - Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser

Hopefully you are all aware of the upcoming Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser which will be held in Raleigh on June 13th, 2009. 100% of your registration fee will be donated to Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata (located in Wake Forest). The goal is to raise enough money to fund 1 day of Gluten Free food for the kids at camp - about $500. So far we have raised $140! Please consider signing up if you have not already and a huge thank you to those who already have.

I have a couple of updates that I'd like to share...

• GIG has donated 5 sport water bottles, the next 5 people who register will receive one FREE! I'll update this post when the 5 free water bottles are gone. Good luck.
  
• Kid sized shirts (small and medium) are available.
• XXL sized shirts are also now available.

Reminder - The deadline to register is Tuesday, May 26th! (just about 3 weeks away). This deadline is set by the Komen Race organizers and will not be extended.

Click here to sign-up.

Reminder - Celiac Disease Run/Walk Fundraiser

I wrote two weeks ago about an upcoming Run/Walk fundraiser to benefit the Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata. Gluten Free Raleigh is organizing a team and would love for you to join. So far, participation has been pretty scarce.

If you have any interest in participating in the run/walk, please register now. The deadline to register is May 26th. The goal is to raise $500 as a donation to Camp Kanata. This will provide for ONE DAY's worth of Gluten Free food for the kids at the camp.

Let's get together and put on our red Gluten Free shirts to raise awareness and to raise funds!

Click here to register.

Special Event - Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser

~ ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL GLUTEN FREE RALEIGH EVENT ~

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED.
Thanks to all who have participating in raising nearly $1000 for Camp Kanata.

In coordination with the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and Camp Kanata, the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog is proud to announce a special Gluten Free Raleigh Event to raise funds for Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata. A team has been created and will walk together at the upcoming Komen NC Triangle Race for the Cure held in Raleigh on June 13, 2009. All proceeds will be donated to the Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata which is located in Wake Forest, NC and is one of two camps sponsored by GIG in the nation. Click here for more information about Camp Kanata and how it helps children on a Gluten Free diet attend summer camp. This year's GF week is June 21-27.

Event Details
What - Recreational Open 5K Run/Walk (Co-ed)
When - Saturday, June 13, 2009
Time - 9:00 AM (meeting at 8:30 AM)
Location - Meredith College, Raleigh (click for map)
Team Web site: http://race.komennctriangle.org/goto/glutenfreeraleigh
Cost - $45 per person ($25 registration fee for Komen Race & $20 donation to Camp Kanata)
Deadline to Register: Tuesday, May 26, 2009

T-shirts have been donated by the GIG and will be provided to all event participants. The ENTIRE $20 registration fee (not the Komen $25 fee) will be donated to Camp Kanata. My goal is to have at least 25 participants which will raise $500. FYI - GIG uses approximately $450 in GF specialty foods each day at camp. There is no limit on the number of participants so feel free to include your family and friends. The more the merrier!

Event Sign up & Payment-
Event Registration is now closed.

Day of the Race Details

• The Recreational Open 5K Run/Walk (Co-ed) race begins at 9am on the campus of Meredith College in Raleigh. The Gluten Free Raleigh Team will meet at the Burger King parking lot at 3701 Hillsborough Street at 8:30 AM.
  
• Click here for a map of the race course.
• Click here for directions and parking information. A free shuttle runs from the RBC Center. You are encouraged to arrive at the RBC Center at least 1 hour before race time. In order to meet with the team, please arrive at the RBC Center at 7:30 AM and hop a bus to the race location.
  
• Since you are registering as part of a team, you do not have to do anything special or pick up any packets. As the team captain, I will get everything for you and distribute it to you the day of the race at 8:30 AM. You will be required to wear a race bib (which I will pick up) during the race.
• Click here for a Frequently Asked Questions page.
  

More about Komen
The NC Komen Race for the Cure is an annual event to raise money for breast cancer research. It is the largest foot race in the state of North Carolina and regularly has 20,000+ participants. The race has been held for 13 years and has raised more than $10 million in the fight against breast cancer.

Rather than organizing a run/walk event myself, I thought I would piggy-back on one of the most well-run, organized and popular run/walk events in Raleigh. Besides, I always walk in this thing anyway as do a lot of people I have talked to recently. At some point, there may become a separate Gluten Free Raleigh run/walk - so consider this a starting step to gauge interest. At least we will all be out there with Gluten Free shirts on raising awareness and donating money to two great causes while we are at it.

Please email me if you have any questions or need help with either registration process.

Jules Shepard / Earth Fare Event Summary

I'd like to thank everyone that came or helped put on the first Gluten Free Raleigh Blog Special Event last Saturday (Feb 28th)! If you don't know, we hosted Celiac author and Gluten Free cooking expert - Jules Shepard - at the Earth Fare at Brier Creek. Jules also did a book signing and Earth Fare had a special guided tour of the store and it's 1000+ GF items. Trevor from Bella Monica Flatbread Company was also on site for a tasting of their brand new GF pizzas. I originally thought that maybe about 20 people would register for the event but we actually ended up with a completely sold out event and even had some walk-ups the day of the event. We had a standing room only crowd of about 40 people when it was all said and done.

The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog will be making 2 donations to Celiac organizations as a result of the proceeds from the event. The first will be a $300 donation to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). I have written about them frequently on this blog and I really can identify with their primary focus of raising awareness. Another $100 donation will be made to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research on behalf of the event and Jules Shepard. This research center is lead by one of the prominent leaders of the Celiac community - Dr. Alessio Fasano. More to come about this organization in the future.

Thanks again for every one's attendance and hard work. Again - a very special thank you to Jules Shepard for making the trip from Baltimore and for doing such a wonderful job. Also - to Kristi from Earth Fare for doing a wonderful job making sure everything went smoothly.

See below for some pictures from the event...

Jules Shepard / Earth Fare Event SOLD OUT!

Good news (unless you didn't get a ticket to the event) - the Jules Shepard / Earth Fare Gluten Free Event has now sold out!

There was room for 30 participants and all 30 places have been taken.

Early estimates indicate that this event will raise over $300 (after expenses) for a donation to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)!

Thanks for all that have purchased tickets and I look forward to seeing you this Saturday at Earth Fare.

Stay tuned for more Gluten Free Raleigh Special Events in the near future!

Jules Shepard/Earth Fare Event Update

This is supposed to be the last day to register for the upcoming Jules Shepard Gluten Free Event at Earth Fare on 2/28. I have decided to extend the deadline to sign-up until this Friday 2/27.

There are only 4 spaces left for the event and I'd love to fill them all. At this point, all costs associated with the event have been covered, so 100% of your registration fee will be donated to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

Click the following link to see more information about the event and to sign-up!

Jules Shepard/Earth Fare Event Update

Just wanted to toss out some quick updates about the upcoming Jules Shepard/Earth Fare Gluten Free Raleigh Event.

• There are 11 days remaining until the registration cutoff date on 2/23
  

• There are only 8 spaces remaining out of 30

• Trevor from the Bella Monica Flatbread Company will be at Earth Fare around lunch time with samples of their new Gluten Free Pizzas. The guided Gluten Free Earth Fare tour which begins at 11:30 AM will make a stop where Trevor is set up so we all can have some yummy pizza.

Spaces are going fast so if you want to sign up, please do so now!

Special Event - Jules Shepard Cooking Demo at Earth Fare

~ ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL GLUTEN FREE RALEIGH EVENT ~

!!!EVENT SOLD OUT!!!

In coordination with Earth Fare Healthy Supermarket, the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog is proud to announce a special Gluten Free Raleigh Event featuring Celiac author and Gluten Free expert, Jules Shepard. The event will feature a unique blend of Gluten Free Lifestyle topics to promote awareness of Celiac Disease and the Gluten Free Diet.

Event Details
When - Saturday, February 28th, 2009
Time - 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Location - Earth Fare - Brier Creek location. (click for map)
Cost - $20 per person*

This special Gluten Free Raleigh Event will feature three segments as outlined below.

• Jules Shepard Book Signing (9:30 AM - 10 AM) - Jules Shepard will be available before the Gluten Free Cooking Demonstration at Earth Fare to sign either of her two books about Celiac Disease (The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten-Free: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed) or Gluten Free Cooking (Nearly Normal Cooking For Gluten-Free Eating: A Fresh Approach to Cooking and Living Without Wheat or Gluten).

• Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Demonstration (10 AM - 11:30 AM)- Jules Shepard will be on site conducting a cooking demonstration/class for participants featuring baked good items utilizing her own GF flour mix - a product line called Nearly Normal All Purpose Flour and Baking Mixes. The line includes a Muffin/Scone mix, a Cookie mix and a Graham Cracker/Gingerbread mix. This portion of the event will feature an interactive opportunity to learn Gluten Free cooking tips and tricks from an expert in the field.]

• Earth Fare Guided Gluten Free Tour (11:30 AM - 12 PM) - A representative from Earth Fare will be taking participants through a guided tour of the store showcasing Earth Fare's Gluten Free products and their placement in the store.

Event Sign up & Payment- SOLD OUT

About Jules Shepard
See my previous post about Jules here.

About Earth Fare
Earth Fare is a healthy foods supermarket which began in Asheville, North Carolina in 1975. An expansion, which began in the late 1990's, has brought the grocery store to Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina, Greensboro, Boone, Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, Athens and Augusta, Georgia, and Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. Earth Fare states on it's Web site the following about the products it chooses to carry -

We sell foods as close to the ground as it gets. Products with these ingredients/processes WILL NOT BE SOLD at Earth Fare :

• NO hydrogenated or partially- hydrogenated oils added trans-fats
• NO high fructose corn syrup
• NO artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners & preservatives
• NO antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones or animal by-products in the feed (fresh meats & milk)
• NO bleached or bromated flour
• NO irradiated single source spices, produce or meat
• NO animal by-products in pet foods
• NO inhumane treatment of the animals providing us with dairy, meat and eggs

You can tell that Earth Fare takes a lot of pride in the products they carry. Earth Fare also makes it easy for gluten intolerant customers to find foods they can stomach – pun intended. With over 1000 gluten-free items to choose from and clearly marked “gluten-free sets” within the store, shoppers don’t have to guess about where to find gluten-free products anymore.

Special Notes
I'd like to personally thank Earth Fare for donating ingredients/supplies for the cooking demonstration and being extremely helpful in organizing this event.

Also, a very special thank you to Jules Shepard for traveling to Raleigh to take part in this event.

*Proceeds from this event will benefit both the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research.