"Teal Pumpkin Project" protects kids with food allergies on Halloween

Tonight, kids will go door-to-door in hopes of collecting as much Halloween candy as possible. But, what about those with food allergies? A nationwide project is working to make sure everyone is happier and safer this Halloween.

For 4 years, communities nationwide have been a part of “The Teal Pumpkin Project”. The program started in Tennessee under FARE (Food Allergy Research Education) as a way for everyone to feel included in trick-or-treating festivities.

People are encouraged to place teal pumpkins outside of their homes or business. It’s a sign for kids with food allergies that non-food items, like glow sticks, stickers or small toys, are available for them instead of candy.

Participants can also have two buckets of candy that separates allergy from non-allergy.

Research shows that 15 million people in the U.S. have food allergies. Nearly 6 million are children under the age of 18.

According to FARE, last year, more than 18,000 homes from all 50 states participated.

There are multiple locations across Michiana that have joined the project. You can find an interactive map listing them HERE.

By zooming in on the Michiana area and clicking on the blue dots, addresses you can visit and the items being handed out are listed.

If you’d like to participate, just make sure you have a teal pumpkin on your doorstep. You can also download and print posters from FARE, which can be found HERE.