Trick-or-Treat for Food Allergy Coin Collection Campaign

18/10/06 Most children can't wait to dig into their pillowcases and sacks to uncover the numerous amounts of candy and goodies they collected on Halloween night. However, not all children are able to enjoy dressing up in their favorite costumes, going trick-or-treating door to door, and freely consuming the treats they receive at each home. For those 3 million American youth with food allergies to common ingredients such as peanuts, tree nuts, or milk, one of those hidden ingredients in a piece of candy could be deadly.

For the fourth consecutive year, The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), http://www.foodallergy.org, is launching its Trick-or-Treat for Food Allergy Coin Collection Campaign, as another alternative to traditional trick-or-treat activities. Participating children and families nationwide will collect change, instead of candy, in clearly marked, bright purple Trick-or-Treat for Food Allergy coin collection boxes. Collectively, the quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies will all be used for food allergy education and ongoing research, as there is no cure for food allergy.

"For the 1 in 25 Americans under the age of 18 with food allergies, Halloween can be the scariest time of year," said Anne Munoz-Furlong, Founder and CEO of FAAN. "It is important to build widespread national awareness of food allergies and to highlight the risks they pose to children. Through our Web site, you can order a free coin collection box or download a decal to paste on a coffee can to collect funds. FAAN wants everyone to be safe while having fun this Halloween."

Prizes will be awarded to children for various levels of fundraising. Incentives for participation include a Multi Voice Changer Mega Phone, MP3 player, X-Style Kaleidoscope, an Icebar Radio with headphones, and a brand new bicycle as the grand prize. All contributions to FAAN must be received via the Web site or postmarked by November 30, 2006, to be counted toward prize values.