According to FARE’s website, the Teal Pumpkin Project encourages communities to provide non-food alternatives to Halloween treats that have nuts, gluten and other allergens to make celebrations safer and more enjoyable.
Families can identify houses that adhere to those alternatives by looking for teal-painted pumpkins sitting outside of houses.
This year, the Bloomington Parents of Children Having Allergies decided to make the project known throughout the Monroe County area.
Nicole Van Sant, a member of the PoCHA, said planning for the project began at the beginning of its October meeting.
“As part of our October meeting, we decorated teal pumpkins to use to support the national campaign,” Van Sant said. “As a support group that is registered through Food Allergy Research and Education, we receive newsletters and information in regards to campaigns, food allergy walks and other ideas that may help include and educate throughout the community.”
Van Sant said having a child with allergies requires certain precautions when attending Halloween festivities, such as trick-or-treating at the houses of close friends and families and putting together a bag of candy that is safe for her child.
“As a parent of a child with food allergies, we have to tackle issues on a daily basis to allow our children to still be included — but safely included — in everyday activities that children love,” Van Sant said.
Families can participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project by replacing treats that can be harmful — treats with nuts, gluten, or dairy — with substitutes such as stickers, rings, bubbles, mini slinkies and stencils.
PoCHA spreads awareness about the project by sharing the idea with friends, families and others in surrounding neighborhoods, as well as helping supporters find painting supplies.
“Just yesterday I shared my can of teal spray paint with a close friend so she could paint her teal pumpkin to set out on Halloween and share non-food treats with children in her neighborhood,” Van Sant said.
There are also posters available to print on www.foodallergy.org that can be set out with the teal pumpkin to help spread awareness about food allergies.
