Teal pumpkins make Halloween happy for kids with food allergies

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/teal-pumpkins-make-halloween-happy-for-kids-food-allergies/

Oct. 28, 2016

The Teal Pumpkin Project, now in its third year, is helping kids like 6-year-old Lukas Mazur and millions of other children who feel left out.

Lukas loves sweets but he has a severe allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. It’s turned Halloween into a drag, he told CBS News.

“Your friends can have all of these great treats, but you have a nut allergy, so you can’t eat all that stuff,” he said.

But this year, Lukas can’t wait to put on his costume. He showed CBS News’ Kenneth Craig the teal-painted pumpkin on his front step — a welcome sign for trick-or-treaters like him with food allergies. It’s a signal that a home is handing out non-food treats, such as stickers, light sticks, and brightly colored bracelets.

The campaign was initiated by the non-profit organization Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).

“With one in 13 kids having a food allergy here in the U.S., chances are that one of these kids lives right down your block,” said FARE’s Nancy Gregory.

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