I bet that you know someone with a food allergy. These days it seems as if there are more people with food allergies, than without. Depending on who you talk to, some people claim the food allergy crisis is overblown, while others talk about issues ranging from conspiracy theory driven “chemtrails” to the very real prospect of living in a full blown GMO society.
During the normal course of our lives, it’s no longer up to us to “choose our poisons” – from the air that we breathe to the water that we drink, we are constantly ingesting small doses of harmful pollutants that change the way our bodies develop and defend themselves. Choosing a poison might not be within our control, but choosing a position and taking a stand is another story altogether.
On Saturday, August 9th at LaSalle Park from 9 am to 12:30 pm, Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) will be hosting The FARE Walk for Food Allergy. The walk is an effort to raise funds and awareness for an epidemic that doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon. “Fifteen million people in the United States are living with food allergy, a life-altering and potentially life-threatening disease,” said John L. Lehr, chief executive officer of FARE. “It is for each of these individuals and their families that we work to find a cure, to educate, to advocate – and of course, walk. Every step we take, every dollar raised by our dedicated supporters and sponsors, brings us closer to the day when we say FAREwell to food allergies.”
Lead image: The 2013 FARE Walk raised a record-breaking $3.6 million for food allergy research, education, awareness and advocacy. Participants can sign up to walk individually or as part of a team. For more information, or to register or volunteer, visit www.foodallergywalk.org/buffalo2014.