Not sure if you are aware but there are still two more FAAN Walk 2012 events that are fairly close for those of us living in Orange County. There is still time to participate since the next events are in Long Beach (in October) and San Diego (in November). Personally, I have never attended one of these events, but I am confident it is a great way to meet some other families that also are impacted by Food Allergies.
Here are some links to the upcoming events:
Why a Food Allergy Walk?
The goal of the FAAN Walk is to raise public awareness, to provide advocacy and education, and to advance research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis.
- We walk to fund food allergy awareness, advocacy, education, and research programs.
- We walk to provide understanding, hope, and an opportunity for those affected by food allergies to network.
- We walk to save a life!
Over the years, FAAN has been at the forefront of progress in food allergy awareness, advocacy, education, and research. Findings from research studies have been used to change federal and state laws, improve school policies, raise public awareness, improve the daily lives of individuals with food allergy, and provide education for patients, caregivers, and health professionals. Funds from programs like the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy support FAAN’s efforts to achieve these feats.
For more information on the FAAN Walk, please visit them online at: http://www.foodallergywalk.org
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May 2012 – The two powerhouses of food allergy awareness and research are planning to join forces. Earlier this month, the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) and the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) announced their intent to merge, pending regulatory approvals.
The merger appears to be a perfect marriage – blending FAAN’s expertise in spreading awareness via publicized information, resources, and special food allergy programs and FAI’s role as a major funding source for food allergy research. In a recent press release, representatives for FAAN stated that, “The unified organization will focus on funding research to find a cure, advocating for food-allergic people, increasing awareness about the severity and growing prevalence of food allergies, and educating the public and other key stakeholders about the disease and the urgent need for a cure.
Food allergies are finally gaining recognition in the mainstream, but awareness has unfortunately come with a cost. Studies show that one in every 13 children now live with a food allergy, and nearly 40 percent of those kids have already experienced a severe or life-threatening food-allergic reaction. Hopefully this expanded organization can help to identify some of the underlying causes behind the increasing prevelance of food allergies.
For more information on the two organizations, visit www.faiusa.org and www.foodallergy.org.
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