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June 20, 2006
FAAN Sponsors San Diego's First Annual Food Allergy Walk
SAN DIEGO, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of motivated San Diego
County residents are joining forces to organize a fund-raising walk to
build public awareness and raise money to help protect children with
life-threatening food allergies.
The Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure event, benefits The
Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), the nation's leading nonprofit,
patient advocacy organization providing information about food allergy.
The San Diego Walk is one of 18 nationwide events scheduled between
August and November. Registration is now open for walk enthusiasts, school
officials, community groups, government agencies, and families to
participate in San Diego's first Walk for Food Allergy, a 1.5 mile family
event that will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006, with registration
beginning at 8 am at Balboa Park.
More than 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies. The majority
are school-aged children. Each year, the number of children diagnosed with
food allergies increases. Food-allergic reactions result in more than
30,000 emergency room visits each year. This allergy is the leading cause
of anaphylaxis (a severe, potentially life-threatening reaction) outside
the hospital setting. It is estimated that between 150 and 200 people die
annually from anaphylaxis to food, including children and young adults. To
prevent a reaction, food-allergic individuals must rely on strict avoidance
of the food to which they are allergic.
Amy Caterina of Del Mar, CA, will serve as Chair of the Walk for Food
Allergy. "Thirty years ago food allergies were almost unheard of,
especially life-threatening ones. Now, one in 25 Americans is affected by
food allergies," stated Caterina. "Families nationwide and the healthcare
industry are working to address this serious medical condition. The main
goal of our committee is to create a food allergy and anaphylaxis support
group based here in San Diego to provide education and support for local
families dealing with food allergies and anaphylaxis."
National sponsorship support comes from the generosity of San
Diego-based Verus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the distributor of Twinject(R), an
epinephrine auto injector used to treat anaphylaxis. Sponsorship support
also comes from PR Newswire, the global leader in news and information
distribution services for professional communicators.
"We're pleased to launch the 2006 Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward
A Cure with national sponsor Verus Pharmaceuticals," said FAAN CEO and
Founder Anne Munoz-Furlong. "Each Walk will help achieve our goal of
increasing education and awareness in communities across the country and in
preventing food allergy-related deaths. With each dollar raised, we are
closer to finding a cure."
For interview opportunities or volunteer/sponsorship interest, please
Contact Amy Caterina at 619-379-0054 or at sdfaanwalk@yahoo.com
Posted by David at June 20, 2006 9:11 PM