Northwestern Unveils 2016 Peanut & Tree-Nut Allergy Aware Program
9/1/2016 7:53:00 AM | Football, General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Women's Volleyball, Wrestling
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern's three non-conference football games at Ryan Field and a total of 32 events at Welsh-Ryan Arena will be peanut and tree nut aware in 2016, the third consecutive year of the most extensive allergy aware program in sports, Northwestern Athletics announced on Thursday.
In order to create a safe environment for individuals with peanut and tree nut allergies, no products containing peanuts or tree-nuts will be sold at Ryan Field or Welsh-Ryan Arena, and the venues will undergo extensive cleaning to ensure that no peanut or tree nut material remains anywhere in the facilities.
Season tickets and single-game tickets for the Wildcats football games against Western Michigan (Sept. 3), Illinois State (Sept. 10) and Duke (Sept. 17) can be purchased at NUSports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE.
The peanut and tree nut aware program will also include all events in Welsh-Ryan Arena through the 2016 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships in December. This lineup will include all ten Wildcats home volleyball matches under new head coach Shane Davis, ten men's basketball games, ten women's basketball tilts and one Northwestern wrestling dual meet as well as Midlands. Including the three football games at Ryan Field, the most extensive allergy aware program in sports will encompass 35 events in Evanston.
"The response to the allergy aware program over the last few years was overwhelming," said deputy athletic director Mike Polisky. "We heard from so many families that were able to experience Big Ten football, basketball, volleyball and wrestling for the first time. We're looking forward to affording even more Chicagoland families an opportunity to enjoy college athletics at the highest level in 2016.
On October 19, 2013, Ryan Field became the first college football venue to be entirely peanut-free when Northwestern hosted division rival Minnesota. The idea to hold a "peanut-free" game originated in 2013 with a simple request by a concerned parent, a father of a Northwestern freshman with a severe peanut allergy.
Reactions to peanuts and tree nuts can be life-threatening. One in 13 children, or roughly two in every classroom, have a food allergy, according to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). Studies show that the number of children with food allergies in the United States grew by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011, and the number of children living with peanut allergy tripled between 1997 and 2008.
ABOUT FARE
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) works on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies, including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis. This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children in the U.S. - or roughly two in every classroom. FARE's mission is to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide them hope through the promise of new treatments. Our work is organized around three core tenets: LIFE - support the ability of individuals with food allergies to live safe, productive lives with the respect of others through our education and advocacy initiatives; HEALTH - enhance the healthcare access of individuals with food allergies to state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment; and HOPE - encourage and fund research in both industry and academia that promises new therapies to improve the allergic condition. For more information, please visit www.foodallergy.org and find us on Twitter @FoodAllergy, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.
In order to create a safe environment for individuals with peanut and tree nut allergies, no products containing peanuts or tree-nuts will be sold at Ryan Field or Welsh-Ryan Arena, and the venues will undergo extensive cleaning to ensure that no peanut or tree nut material remains anywhere in the facilities.
Season tickets and single-game tickets for the Wildcats football games against Western Michigan (Sept. 3), Illinois State (Sept. 10) and Duke (Sept. 17) can be purchased at NUSports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE.
The peanut and tree nut aware program will also include all events in Welsh-Ryan Arena through the 2016 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships in December. This lineup will include all ten Wildcats home volleyball matches under new head coach Shane Davis, ten men's basketball games, ten women's basketball tilts and one Northwestern wrestling dual meet as well as Midlands. Including the three football games at Ryan Field, the most extensive allergy aware program in sports will encompass 35 events in Evanston.
"The response to the allergy aware program over the last few years was overwhelming," said deputy athletic director Mike Polisky. "We heard from so many families that were able to experience Big Ten football, basketball, volleyball and wrestling for the first time. We're looking forward to affording even more Chicagoland families an opportunity to enjoy college athletics at the highest level in 2016.
On October 19, 2013, Ryan Field became the first college football venue to be entirely peanut-free when Northwestern hosted division rival Minnesota. The idea to hold a "peanut-free" game originated in 2013 with a simple request by a concerned parent, a father of a Northwestern freshman with a severe peanut allergy.
Reactions to peanuts and tree nuts can be life-threatening. One in 13 children, or roughly two in every classroom, have a food allergy, according to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). Studies show that the number of children with food allergies in the United States grew by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011, and the number of children living with peanut allergy tripled between 1997 and 2008.
ABOUT FARE
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) works on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies, including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis. This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children in the U.S. - or roughly two in every classroom. FARE's mission is to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide them hope through the promise of new treatments. Our work is organized around three core tenets: LIFE - support the ability of individuals with food allergies to live safe, productive lives with the respect of others through our education and advocacy initiatives; HEALTH - enhance the healthcare access of individuals with food allergies to state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment; and HOPE - encourage and fund research in both industry and academia that promises new therapies to improve the allergic condition. For more information, please visit www.foodallergy.org and find us on Twitter @FoodAllergy, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.
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