2010 NC FACES/FAAN Raleigh Walk for Food Allergies – Sat 10/23/2010

2010 NC FACES/FAAN Walk for Food Allergies

Sorry for the short notice, but I wanted to share with you an important event coming up this weekend. A local support group for families and children with food allergies – called NC FACES – is holding a fundraising and awareness walk this coming Saturday, October 23, 2010. NC FACES (Food Allergic Children Excelling Safely) is a volunteer support group that provides a social and emotional support network for over 250 families dealing with food allergies in the RTP area of North Carolina. They strive to provide safe, fun environments for our children to excel as well as to educate others about food allergy dangers.

This is the second year for the walk which is part of the FAAN Walk for Food Allergies. FAAN (The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) is a national group that provides information and support for the estimated 12 million Americans (1 out of every 25 people) that deal with food allergies. The purpose of the walk is to raise funds (and awareness) with the hopes of finding a cure for food allergies. While we all know that Celiac Disease is not an allergy but rather an incurable auto-immune disease, there are many readers of Gluten Free Raleigh that are allergic to Gluten. The 2009 version of the walk rose over $20,000 and had over 300 families participate. This year's version is surely to be just as big of an event – if not bigger. Click here to read an article from WRAL (there is also a video) for more information.

If you suffer from a food allergy or know someone who does, this walk is an important chance for you to get out and support the effort to find a cure. See below for all the pertinent details.

Information

NC FACES Web site -> http://www.ncfaces.org/

NC FACES FAAN Walk page -> http://www.ncfaces.org/faanwalk

FAAN Walk page (make a donation or sign up for the walk) -> http://www.foodallergywalk.org/site/TR/2010Walk/2010Walks?fr_id=1821&pg=entry

Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010
Time: Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m.; Walk begins at 10:00 a.m.
Location: Bond Park, 801 High House Road, Cary, NC 27513
Distance: 2 miles
Restrictions: No pets, glass bottles, bikes, roller skates or skate boards.  Baby Strollers and wagons are welcome.
Activities: Appearances by local mascots, and Halloween-themed games and crafts. Children are also invited to wear kid-friendly costumes.

Other notes -> This year's walk is sponsored by the following groups: Carolina Hurricanes, Dey, NC Children's Specialty Clinic, Northwestern Mutual, Red Robin & Sunbutter and will feature the following mascots to entertain the kids: Red (Red Robin), Baeko (White Tiger Taekwondo), Scooby Doo, Stormy and the Storm Squad (from the Hurricanes) and Wool E Bull (from the Durham Bulls).

As participants finish the walk this year, they'll have the opportunity to participate in Halloween crafts and games such as Halloween theme tattoos, ring toss, bean bag toss, and coin toss, and there will be fun prizes! Children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes for the duration of the walk and post-walk festivities.