Photo Credit: Noelle N.
According to Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), 32 million people in America have life-threatening food allergies. Not only do I enjoy raising awareness for food allergies through various organizations and events, but I also understand that it is important to bring awareness to a cause that affects so many people. One of the organizations I enjoy raising awareness about is Red Sneakers for Oakley, a nonprofit that was founded to bring awareness to food allergies after the loss of their son, Oakley. As an ambassador for Red Sneakers for Oakley, I recently held a Red Sneakers for Oakley event at my school. This Red Sneakers for Oakley Day led to more awareness of food allergies amongst the students, faculty, and staff! Here are some tips for food allergy advocacy events and what I did during my Red Sneakers Day.
Get the Word Out
First, I encouraged students to participate! In our school, we have a video that students watch to hear information about upcoming events every Friday. After receiving permission, I was able to add a portion to the video where I discussed the food allergy awareness event. I had several of my friends wear teal and red sneakers to share important information about food allergies and Red Sneakers for Oakley. This included facts about food allergies, the mission of Red Sneakers for Oakley, Oakley’s story, and why the community should support food allergy awareness.
Show Enthusiasm
On the day of the Red Sneakers for Oakley event, my friends and I handed out Red Sneakers for Oakley bracelets and teal ribbons while cheering as people came in with their red sneakers or teal clothes. It was exciting to see so many students participating in the food allergy awareness event by donating and wearing red sneakers! Be sure to remind your classmates ahead of time to support the event so you will have lots of people involved.
Show Appreciation
At the end of your food allergy awareness event, don’t forget to thank everyone who contributed. This includes those who allowed you to run the event, anyone who helped with set-up, those who supported it, and more. After my Red Sneakers for Oakley Day was over, I made sure to thank the students who participated so they knew that their involvement was meaningful. I was so lucky to have so many supportive friends and teachers participate in the event, and I am grateful for their enthusiasm for raising food allergy awareness.
I hope these tips and the example from my Red Sneakers for Oakley event help you in planning a food allergy event in your community. I am so glad I was able to bring more awareness to food allergies in my school through Red Sneakers for Oakley!
“Facts and Statistics.” FoodAllergy.org, https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/facts-and-statistics.
Check out the Red Sneakers for Oakley organization: https://www.redsneakers.org