All children love candy, right?

While it is easy to assume this is true — and it probably is for most kids — there are many children who can’t eat certain types of treats due to food allergies.

Because of this, the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization launched a national campaign in 2014 called the “Teal Pumpkin Project” designed to raise awareness and promote inclusion of all trick-or-treaters throughout the Halloween season.

Last year, households from 50 states and seven countries participated in the Teal Pumpkin Project.

We encourage all families to join the thousands of homes across the country participating in this year’s effort.

It’s easy to do.

You can join in by painting a pumpkin teal and placing it outside your home to show you are providing non-food treats for trick-or-treaters.

Non-food treats can be anything from stickers to stencils to glow-in-the-dark bracelets — the possibilities are endless.

Being part of the movement doesn’t mean you can’t provide traditional candy, it just means you are providing another option for kids who might be allergic to nuts or wheat or whatever.

If you don’t have the time or desire to paint a pumpkin teal, you can print out a free Teal Pumpkin Project sign from the website foodallergy.org.

To find homes participating in your area, check out the online crowd-sourcing map located on the website.

We hope you can add your home to the list too.

After all, shouldn’t Halloween be a fun, positive experience for everyone?

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.