An estimated one-in-13 children suffers from a food allergy, which Veronica LaFemina, vice president for communication at Food Allergy Research and Education, said can be life-threatening. “My son will be one of several children benefitting from the Teal Pumpkin Project in my area this year”.
Advertisement
“There are 2.5 million people in Canada who are affected by food allergies, more than 300,000 of them are children”, Beatrice Povolo told Global News. “For children that have other allergies such as milk, egg or wheat – those may not be an option, but there may be other sweets there that don’t include those allergens”, she says.
Participants in the program are prompted to put either a printout of a teal-colored pumpkin or else an actual pumpkin painted teal at their front door to let children with allergies know that, as opposed to or in addition to candy, they will provide non-food items such as small toys, stickers and other items where allergies are not a concern. That’s exactly why Nancy Moses placed a teal pumpkin outside her Lakeland home past year.
“It’s a simple way to make sure every kid has fun on Halloween”, Moses said.
She said there are many fun non-food treats that can be passed out, including glow sticks, pencils, stickers, spider rings and bubbles.
Although she won’t be in Lakeland this Halloween, she’ll place a teal pumpkin outside a relative’s home and hand out non-food items again on Halloween this Saturday. “I’ll definitely keep doing it”.
Those who want to participate simply need to paint a pumpkin teal – Reed has a foam pumpkin that she spray-painted so it can be used year after year – and have nonfood treats available.
But, now, folks are showing support by setting out treats that are safe for everyone alongside a brightly colored teal pumpkin, the symbol of a “safe house”.
Advertisement
According to a crowd-sourced map on the project’s website, two houses in Franklin are participating, along with about 10 more homes within about a 30-minute driving distance.
