Teal Pumpkin Project Changes The Way We Think About Halloween Candy
While many kids dressed in their cutest and spookiest best take to the streets on All Hallow’s Eve to collect their treasury of Halloween candy from house to house, thousands of kids miss out on the fun due to allergies and other dietary restrictions. However, the Teal Pumpkin Projects is aiming to change that.
Since 1992, the number of children in the United States who suffer from food allergies has risen by more than 50 percent, and Halloween candy can present a special concern for families. Currently 1 in 13 children now suffer from food allergies, including serious and deadly peanut allergies, making Halloween candy a real fear for many. In addition to this, juvenile diabetes has also been on the rise, which means that more than 200,000 young people in the U.S. can not partake in the traditional festivities of collecting Halloween candy.
Because of the traditional approach to Halloween candy, so many of these kids get left out of the Halloween fun, but the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) organization hopes to change that with the Teal Pumpkin Project. The project is designed to raise awareness about the seriousness of food allergies, as well as to find ways to make the Halloween fun more inclusive for all kids. People are asked to place a teal pumpkin outside of their homes where trick-or-theaters will be able to spot them to let families know that they have treats for the little ghouls and goblins that are not just the normal Halloween candy. Peanut free treats, as well as fun treats other than Halloween candy, like stickers, pencils, Halloween themed rings, cards, balloons, and other goodies are encouraged by the project so even children who can not eat the traditional Halloween candy can still take part in the fun and come home with their own little bag of treasure that is safe and fun for them.
The Teal Pumpkin Project to replace Halloween candy with safer options began last year by the Tennessee chapter of the Food Allergy Research and Education organization and saw such success that it is going national this year on Halloween. The FARE website has made several resources available to those who want to participate in the campaign for safer Halloween candy and offer options, including downloadable posters and a list of great alternatives to Halloween candy.
The Teal Pumpkin Project is also a great idea for other health conscious parents who have worried about the high sugar content in Halloween candy or those who fear that someone make act upon those scary stories of tainted Halloween candy and other dangers, so we just may see a whole new tradition replacing the typical Halloween candy aisle. Will you be participating in The Teal Pumpkin Project this year?
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