Gluten Free Raleigh: Girl Scout Cookies

Fundraising History

As of Dec 3, 2010
1) Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Class - 2/28/2009 $100 donated to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research $400 donated to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)

2) Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser - 6/13/2009 $915 donated to Gluten Free Week 2009 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

3) Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Class - 7/12/2009 $300 donated to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research

4) GF 101 Class @ Rosie's Plate - 10/3/2009 $175 donated to Gluten Free Week 2010 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

5) GF 101 Class @ Rosie's Plate - 1/23/2010 $100 donated to Gluten Free Week 2010 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

6) GF 101 Class @ Rosie's Plate - 4/24/2010 $85 donated to Gluten Free Week 2010 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

7) Gluten Free Food Drive to benefit The Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC - May 2010 $925

8) GF 101 Class @ Whole Foods - 10/23/2010 $82.50 donated to Gluten Free Week 2011 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

Grand Total = $3,082.50

Celiac Disease Stats

16,860 Triangle residents with Celiac Disease
1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people or 1% of population) has Celiac Disease.
97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.
CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.
Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.
30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.
2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.
There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.
CD affects more people in the US than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
500,000 new Celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the US by 2012 -- thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of the disease.
People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.
It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.
The average cost of misdiagnosis is $5,000 - $12,000 per person per year. Improving the time to diagnosis could save the health care system millions of dollars annually in unnecessary medical care.
A recent study by Packaged Facts projects that the sales of GF food will reach $2.63 Billion by 2012. The GF market is also projected to hit $5 Billion by 2015.
GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.
The smallest amount of gluten which has been shown by a biopsy to cause damage to a Celiac is 0.1 gram per day - or 1/48th of a slice of bread.
The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD but the law only requires labeling of wheat. Nearly 5 years later, the FDA still has not finalized what it means to label a product Gluten Free.
12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.
8% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.
Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with Celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease. First degree relatives should be tested yearly for CD even if previous tests were negative.
There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Gluten Free Girl Scout Cookies?

Well, it's that time of year again - Girl Scout Cookie time. In my previous life, I could easily eat a whole box of these yummy treats in about 5 minutes without thinking twice about the $7 the box cost. Too bad ALL the cookies contain Gluten. Order sheets started showing up in my office last week so I thought I would contact the Girl Scouts to see about the possibility of them offering a Gluten Free version of ANY of their cookies. Below is their response.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Girl Scout Cookies (IBF)
Date: Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 9:15 AM
Subject: RE: Question about Girl Scout cookies
To: GlutenFree Raleigh

Dear Zach,
Thank you for your inquiry. We are contacted often with requests that we offer a cookie that addresses various food restrictions and we are always looking at whether we might be able to meet those needs. Gluten free is a frequent topic at our Research and Development meetings. We would be thrilled if we could develop a great tasting gluten free cookie that would be a good match for our Girl Scout cookie product line and gluten free will continue to be a part of our R & D discussions.
Thank you for supporting the Girl Scouts in your community.

Thank you,
Shelby Hudson
Cookie Customer Service
(800) 221-1002
girlscoutcookies@interbake.com

Go to the following Web site to contact the Girl Scouts to encourage them to make a GF cookie! You can also use the above email address or phone number under Shelby's name.

Let's hope for Thin Mints first!

Gluten Free Raleigh

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Gluten Free Girl Scout Cookies?

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