Grand SLAM at the ballpark!

It was amazing to see the other families affected by food allergies here in Eastern Iowa come out to the ball game last night. I want to say thank you to the Kernel's for pulling this event together! Jessica and I were in close contact all night and niether of us heard of anyone having an reaction while at the game. I also want to say thank you to FAAN for providing pencils, bracelets and documentation to had out to everyone who attended!

Three things that I learned last night were
1. That we really need a FAAN support group chapter here in Iowa.
2. That there is a product called Sun Butter at Wal-Mart for only $3.00. It is a peanut butter substitute. It is made out of sunflower seeds. I will be stopping at Wal-Mart sometime today to read the ingredients to see if this Sun Butter is safe for Lynda to eat.
3.There is one school who is not working with the family as a team to keep their daughter safe.

Lynda had a great time. She wore gloves during the game to protect her from her other allergens. I have already checked out her skin this morning and there does not appear to be any signs of a delayed reaction. Thank you God!

Many people hope that the Kernel's will do this event again next year. We sure hope they do too. I suggested to Jessica to make the Food Allergy Awareness Day the first game of the season. That way the stadium will be still be clean from last game played and from all of the winter snow and spring rains.

Drop Jesssica Fergesen a letter or an e-mail letting her know that you want to see another Food Allergy Awareness Day at the ballpark.

Here is Jessica's contact information:
Community Relations Director
Cedar Rapids Kernels
950 Rockford Rd. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
jfergesen@kernels.com

Thank you to all the families that stopped by to share their stories about their children, friends and co-workers and the challenges. So many said this was the first opportunity for their families to go to a ballgame together. So often we hear that many parents say they feel like they are on an island when dealing with this affliction. Well last night gave us an opportunity to be on the same island for a while!

Have a great (and safe) day. Knowledge is power, so help is keep people informed about food allergies.

The Taylor's

PS Yes the Kernel's did WIN last night :)