When you think about trick or treating, most of you imagine seeing an orange pumpkin on a doorstep, window or front yard.  But have any of you ever seen a Teal Pumpkin, and understood what it’s there for?  When Scrubs Mag posted recently about the Teal Project, most thought the color was just a novel decoration and didn’t know the meaning behind it.

It’s easy to overlook or not even think about kids with food allergies.  Anything from nuts, to sugar can cause life threatening illnesses and unfortunately it means some kids miss out on a fun night.  That’s where the FARE Teal Pumpkin Project stepped in.

FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project helps make sure all children will come home on Halloween night with something they can enjoy. It just takes one simple act: offering non-food treats, such as glow sticks or small toys, as an alternative to candy.

Last year, households from all 50 states and 14 countries participated. This is a worldwide movement to create a safer, happier Halloween for all trick-or-treaters.  There’s even an interactive map on their website where you can add your home address to let neighbors know there are food free surprises in store.

How to Take Part

1. Provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters.
2. Place a teal pumpkin in front of your home to indicate to passersby that you have non-food treats available.
3. Display a free printable sign or premium poster from FARE to explain the meaning of your teal pumpkin.
4. Make a donation to support the Teal Pumpkin Project and receive a free gift.

The Teal Pumpkin Project was inspired by a local awareness activity run by the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee (FACET) and launched as a national campaign by FARE in 2014. FARE thanks FACET for their ongoing partnership as we work to reach families across the country and around the world with the Teal Pumpkin Project’s messages of awareness, inclusion and community.