It is believed one in 13 children has a food allergy, a ratio that is on the rise. The FARE Walk for Food Allergy at Delaware Parkon Saturday morning is looking to raise awareness to the problem.
"We are seeing a huge increase in food allergies in kids," said planning committee member Sarah Piccirillo.
"There's really no known cause. There's some theories, but nobody knows exactly why. But right now there's 15 million Americans with food allergies and when you play out those numbers in kids, it's one in 13 children. And those numbers are really rising."
A recent story out of California highlights the dangers connected to food allergies. A 13-year-old girl reportedly died after taking just one bite of a dessert she didn't know contained peanut butter.
http://youtu.be/AKVjKC3u9hk
According to Piccirillo, food allergies "can cause what is called anaphylaxis, which is the shutdown of the major body systems. The throat can close up. It can cause death."
Saturday's FARE (Food Allergy Research& Education) Walk runs from 9 until noon at Delaware Park's Parkside Lodge.
"This year, we've formed a much larger committee and are trying to make it a larger event, a family-focused fun day for kids with food allergies and their families to come and have a good time, spread awareness about food allergies. and raise money for our national organization."
