Hey there Diner Nationals! Our first Public Service Announcement! We wanted to get out from behind the computer screens and talk to everyone for a change but it was an absolute nightmare trying to film a commercial. So here we are!
Anyway, Joe’s favorite time of the year is Halloween and we are only 15 days away! Even though we were decorating about a month ago, we are now just starting to get the candy for treat bags and thought this would be a perfect time to share a great story!
One day in our local craft store, we happened upon a bin of pumpkins of a different color. They were teal. At first we thought it was just a new trend this year, but aside from the traditional orange, teal was the only other color. Then we looked at the tag. That’s when we learned about the Teal Pumpkin Project and wanted to share it with all of you.
The Teal Pumpkin Project was started in East Tennessee and launched as a national campaign in 2014 by the Food Allergy Research Education (FARE). Teal is the color of Food allergy awareness. 1 in 13 children in the United States suffers from a food allergy. No doubt that makes Halloween more of a trick than a treat.
By participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, we’re providing treats that are not candy. Bubbles, glow sticks, and playing cards are just a few inexpensive ideas that will make Halloween a fun and completely inclusive event for all children. Some stores might actually have signage in their seasonal areas giving you easy ideas of the items to include in your teal pumpkin for Halloween night.
We have registered our address for evening on foodallergy.org, so parents that are looking for homes that are participating can find us easily. If that’s not something you’re comfortable with, you can put a poster on the door and display a teal pumpkin outside on the 31st. We will still have candy treats available, but will also have non-candy treats for those children who aren’t able to have them.
To learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project, visit www.foodallergy.org (our link will take you directly to their resources page) or www.tealpumpkinproject.org . You can even find them on Facebook!
Here’s to a fun and safe Halloween for everyone!
Diner Nation 