Meetings & Events
Affiliated with Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL
Medical Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Kim, Department of
Allergy
Meetings: 2nd Monday of Every Other Month, 6pm-8pm
Meeting schedule
Please contact Eleanor Garrow-Majka through our
contact us page, to confirm the date and location of
meetings. 6pm-8pm:
Monday, February 11, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008 |
Where are the meetings?
Bimonthly meetings are held at the:
Silver Cross Hospital
click here
for map
1200 Maple Road
Joliet, IL 60432
Meeting Room: Room 1804, Lower Level beneath the Emergency
Department Entrance located off of Walnut and Eagle Streets.
Meeting Room Location change effective February 2008
Meeting Room: Room 1804, Lower Level beneath the Emergency
Department Entrance located off of Walnut and Eagle Streets.
Entrance: Park in open parking lots on Eagle Street and enter
through the Emergency Department Entrance. The concierge will direct
you to Room 1804 in the lower level directly beneath the Emergency
Department.
Directions from I-80:
I-80 to the Briggs Exit
North on Briggs Street to Rt. 30/Cass Ave. stoplight (you'll be on
Brigg's for about 2 miles)
Turn left on Rt. 30/Cass to the Walnut stoplight (which is first
light you come to)
Turn right on Walnut - go up the hill - Silver Cross will be on your
right side
Turn right on Eagle Street where the Emergency Department is and
park in any of the open lots.
Upcoming Meetings and Speakers
View Past meetings in our Archives
Monday, June 9, 2008
Dominique Tougne, Co-Owner and Executive Chef of Bistro 110,
Chicago.
Topic: Dominique was FAAN's Honorary Walk Chair in Chicago in 2006
and 2007 for the Walk for Food Allergy. He will discuss his
background, Bistro 110 and dealing with food allergies in his
restaurant. We are very excited to have Dominique visit our group
again!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Christine Szychlinski, Manager of the Food Allergy Program at
Children's Memorial Hospital Department of Allergy.
Topic: Christine will provide a presentation on "Back to School"
tips.
Monday, October 13, 2008
1st Half:
Kim Koeller, President & CEO of Allergy Free Passport
Kim Koeller will be presenting what is new with Allergy Free
Passport and Gluten Free On the Go.
2nd Half:
Jennifer S. Kim, MD - Attending physician, Department of Allergy and
Immunology at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago: Dr.
Jennifer Kim is also the Assistant professor of Pediatrics at
Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Kim's
specialties are allergy and immunology with special interests in
food allergy, anaphylaxis, asthma, allergic rhinitis (hay fever),
and sinusitis.
Upcoming Events
View Past events in our Archives
Chicago THRIVE
Allergy Expo - April 18-19 2009
Chicago will host the first ever THRIVE EXPO.
FOOD ALLERGY INITIATIVE CHICAGO - November 1, 2008
We’re thrilled to announce that the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI)
Chicago will hold its 1st Annual Benefit on Saturday, November 1,
2008 at 7:00 p.m. at the Chicago Illuminating Company. The
cocktail party will feature drinks, heavy appetizers, live & silent
auctions and a raffle with tons of amazing prizes! Honorees are
Denise and Dave Bunning as well as Dominique Tougne, Executive Chef
of Bistro 110. To become an event sponsor, donate items to the
live/silent auctions, join the FAI Chicago mailing list, or
volunteer at the event, please email:
faichicago@faiusa.org. To
donate to FAI Chicago or for more information, please see the
Food Allergy
Initiative.
Walk for Food Allergy 2008 - Chicago, Illinois - Saturday September
27, 2008
The Chicago Walk for Food Allergy is underway for 2008. We are
looking for committee members for Logistics, Sponsorship, Publicity,
and Walker Recruitment, and we are looking for Volunteers on Walk
Day. Please email Eleanor Garrow-Majka through our Contact Us page
and let her know of your interest. It’s also a fun way to connect
with other families in your community who are living with food
allergies.
The event is a 3 mile walk through the Lincoln Park
Community along Lake Michigan in order to raise money for education,
research, advocacy, and to increase awareness. FAAN has raised more
than $2 million from walk events! By increasing the number of
locations to 28 this year, FAAN hopes to raise another $2 million in
2008.
Our goal for 2008 is to raise over $147K with $20K being in
Sponsorships. Please email Eleanor Garrow-Majka through our Contact
Us page if you have any contacts that may be interested in
participating in a Sponsorship. Last year, we had over 800 walkers
come to support food allergies and FAAN's Mission, and we raised
over $135K. On the National Level, Chicago was ranked 5th for
donations out of approximately 21 walk sites.
Please click here for more information on FAAN's 2008 Walk for Food
Allergy
Please click here if you would like to join our team or make a
donation to Eleanor Garrow-Majka's team, "Thomas' Troops:
A Cure for Thomas Majka".
2008 Walk Co-Chairs:
Eleanor Garrow-Majka, Founder of POCHA of Will County
Berenice Lagrimas, Food Allergy Mother and Advocate
2008 Honorary Walk Chair:
First Lady of Illinois, Patti Blagojevich]
Emcee:
Paul Konrad, WGN News - Chicago
Summer Safe Baseball - July 16, 2008
Kane County Cougars is one of the most popular minor league
baseball teams in the country. Contact Erin Wiencek, at (630)
232-8811, Assistant Director of Ticket Operations with Kane County
Cougars to get tickets for Peanut Free Night at the ballpark,
scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, that includes a post-game
fireworks show and the opportunity for fans to run the bases after
the game.
Trace Adkins at Naperville Ribfest - July 6, 2008
Come join us to watch Trace Adkins perform at the Naperville Ribfest
on Sunday, July 6, 2008.
Please click here for more information.
Fishing for a Cure Update - June 3, 2008 - [MS
Word]
BRACEVILLE - Exelon Nuclear and anglers raised a record $26,000 for
charity Saturday during the annual Fishing for a Cure tournament at
Braidwood Lake. The Trace Adkins' raffle, held as part of the
charity event, brought in more than $1,600 for FAAN. In all, the
2008 Fishing for a Cure raised $27,397.50 for FAAN, the Food Allergy
& Anaphylaxis Network. We had a great time at this event fishing
with the children. A huge thank you to Exelon Nuclear and Chris &
Michele Abbott (POCHA of Will County members & Exelon employees) who
made this event happen!
Fishing for a Cure - May 31, 2008 -
[MS Word]
Annual tournament to boost food allergy research. All proceeds
will go to The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN).
Join us on Saturday, May 31st at 9 a.m. in Braceville, Illinois. It
will be a fun, family day! Please email Eleanor Garrow-Majka through
our Contact Us Page for more
information.
FAAN-Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network -
Illinois Food Allergy Conference
5/10/2008
Food Allergies: Living and Learning
Held At Donald Stephens Convention Center
555 North River Road - Rosemont, IL 60018
The
Illinois Food Allergy Conference was a great educational
day! For more information on FAAN's Food Allergy Conferences,
please visit: at
http://www.foodallergy.org/conferences.html. The
following topics were covered:
* Causes and symptoms of food-allergic reactions
* How food allergies should be diagnosed
* Strategies for avoiding reactions
* How and when to use epinephrine
* Tips for managing food allergies in schools
* Ways to prepare a child to manage food allergies
* Latest news on food allergy research
12th Annual Mariel C. Furlong Award Winners Announced at the
Conference:
The Mariel C. Furlong Award for Making a Difference recognizes
outstanding service and contribution by individuals or organizations
that have addressed the needs of individuals with food allergies
through advocacy, outreach, and educational programs. Thanks to all
of you who sent in nominations. Congratulations to all of the 2008
Award Winners!
2008 Community Service Award Winner
Eleanor Garrow-Majka, Support Group Leader
POCHA of Will County, Joliet, Illinois
Anne
Munoz-Furlong, Founder & CEO of FAAN, and Eleanor Garrow-Majka, 2008
Mariel C. Furlong Award Winner for Community Service.
1st
row, L-R: Anne Thompson, MOCHA
North Leader; Vivian Appelt; Jo Dincin; Ann Oerhing, MOCHA
Chicago Leader.
2nd row, L-R: Bryan Bunning; Denise
Bunning, MOCHA North Leader; Lorraine Bachand, MOCHA Chicago
Leader; Eleanor Garrow-Majka, POCHA of Will County Leader;
Kellee Konieczny, POCA DuPage Leader; Debbie & Melissa Engel;
Michele Abbott.
Denise
Bunning, Speaker and Co-Founder of Food Allergy Project/MOCHA
North, & Bryan Bunning, Speaker and FAAN Teen Advisory Group Member.
News
View Past News in our Archives
Serious Food Allergies On Rise, Study Shows - June 16, 2008
[MS
Word]
Dominique Tougne, Bistro 110 Executive Chef, speaks on the
seriousness of food allergies with Chicago's NBC News Anchor, Nesita
Kwan. Also interviewed is
Dr. Jennifer Kim from Children's Memorial Hospital Department of
Allergy and Immunology and POCHA of Will County's Medical Advisor,
along with Jennifer Batson, POCHA of Will County member. Click here
to view the video clip! Great Job!
Click here to view the video clip
Food Allergy Awareness Week is May 11-17
This week is Food Allergy Awareness Week. Illinois Support Group
Leaders joined together on Monday, May 12th at Children's Memorial
Hospital where First Lady, Patti Blagojevich spoke on the Food
Allergy Awareness Campaign, Ask Before You Eat.
Please click here
for more information on the campaign.
Fishing for a Cure - Article 05/13/08 -
[MS Word]
Annual tournament to boost food allergy research. All proceeds will
go to The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). Join us on
Saturday, May 31st at 9 a.m. in Braceville, Illinois. It will be a
fun, family day! Please email Eleanor Garrow-Majka through our
Contact Us Page for more information.
Living with Food Allergies More Than Watching What You Eat - May
2008 -
[MS Word]
Chris and Michele Abbott, members of POCHA of Will County, were
interviewed by the Morris Herald to discuss what it is like to have
a child who suffers from life-threatening food allergies and what
needs to be done to keep our children safe.
Online Food Allergy Survey through The Food Allergy Project- May
2008
The study is designed to learn more about how parents and kids deal
with the challenges inherent in living with food allergies and
managing the risk for unintentional allergy exposures (for example,
parenting issues, parent worries/concerns, and child emotions and
behavior). Their hope is that the information you provide can be
used to reduce the risk of unintentional exposures during childhood
and</> adolescence. The survey will ask you to answer a number of
questions, and should take about 20-30 minutes to complete. It is
completely anonymous and can be accessed by clicking the above link.
Please share this link with your support group members.
The results of the survey will be completed and available to share
in the late summer/early fall and should provide quite interesting.
Should you have questions about the survey, please feel free to
contact Natalie Williams.
WGN 720 News Series: Food for Thought - May 2008
WGN's Andrea Darlas Looks at the Growing Problem of Food Allergies
among Children (WGN-AM) - Thirty years ago, food allergies were
rare. Today, nearly 5,000,000 children in the United States suffer
from life-threatening food allergies. In fact, the number of
children with peanut allergies alone has doubled in five years, and
the numbers continue to grow. WGN's Andrea Darlas takes a look at
this growing trend in our 720 News Series: "Food for Thought."
Trace Adkins Wins Best Male Video at the 2008
CMT Music Awards - May 2008
Thanks to the fans who voted in the 2008
CMT Music Awards, Trace Adkins won Male Video of the Year for
his video “I Got My Game On.” Winning the award also means giving
back to FAAN, as CMT One Country is donating $5,000 to the charity
of each winner’s choice, and Trace chose FAAN! “I’ve never felt the
support from the fans like I’m feeling it this year. This is voted
on by the fans, so I really appreciate it,” says Trace Adkins.
Trace Adkins and FAAN - April 2008
Trace Adkins was a semi-finalist on “The Celebrity Apprentice”.
Although he didn’t win, he made a huge contribution to raising food
allergy awareness with FAAN being his designated charity. Through
his appearance on Apprentice, he has brought the message to millions
of people that food allergies are serious and that families living
with food allergies must be vigilant at all times. Trace’s “I Got My
Game On” music video has been nominated for two CMT Music Awards:
Male Video of the Year and Comedy Video of the Year. These awards
are decided by public vote, and the winners in each category get
$2,500 for the charity of their choice.
House Passes Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act - April
2008
On April 8, 2008, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of
2008 (FAAMA) was passed by the House of Representatives. This
important legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Nita Lowey
(D-NY) as H.R. 2063. It calls for a uniform guidance document to be
created for schools so that any school in the country looking for
help in managing food allergies will have a place to turn. Now that
the bill has been passed by the House, it will be reviewed by the
Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) Committee, who
will consider the bill within the coming months. Known as S. 1232 in
the Senate, this bill was introduced by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) on
April 26, 2007. If the HELP Committee approves the bill, then it
will be presented to the full Senate, and with their agreement it
would go to President Bush for final approval. If passed, FAAMA will
provide schools across the country with uniform guidance on how to
create appropriate management and emergency plans for children with
food allergies. The bill will direct the secretary of health and
human services to develop a voluntary policy for schools to
implement measures to prevent exposure to food allergens and to
ensure a prompt response if a child suffers a potentially fatal
anaphylactic reaction.
Children's Memorial Food Allergy Study
Families with and without allergies are invited to participate in a
study aimed to understand the role of environmental and genetic
influences in the development of food allergies. Participants will
receive gift cards as compensation for their time. For more
information, go to
www.childrensmrc.org/allergy This is a great
chance for us all to possibly find out why our children are
developing food allergies and why this has become such an epidemic.
Please consider joining this very important study! Contact Ms.
Deanna Caruso (312) 573-7755.
Food Allergy Project, Inc.
The Food Allergy Project, Inc. is building a coalition of concerned
parents, researchers, educators and experts. We have two primary
goals:
- To increase the federal resources dedicated to food allergy
research
Scientists in the field of food allergy research estimate that with
a commitment of $50 million per year for five to ten years, we can
find a cure for food allergy.
- To fund scientific studies that will lead to a cure for food
allergy
The Food Allergy Project and its predecessor organization have
already contributed more than $10 million to food allergy research,
and we will continue to support promising studies in search of a
cure.
The parents of food allergic children need the help of the United
States Congress. Generating the necessary $50 million in annual
research funding is simply too much for the private sector to bear
alone. And unless the federal government signals an interest in food
allergy research, the field will not attract the best scientific
minds needed to find a cure. For more information please go to
www.foodallergyproject.org
USDA's New Food Guide Pyramid
There is an incredible amount of information on
www.mypyramid.gov,
which focuses on meeting nutrient needs from a variety of food
sources. It promotes healthy living while emphasizing the importance
of physical activity, and attempts to moderate and limit dietary
components that usually are consumed in excess.
New Books.....MUST HAVE
Let's Eat Out by Kim Koeller, Founder and President of AllergyFree
Passport. You can contact Kim at
kkoeller@allergyfreepassport.com or
www.allergyfreepassport.com. If you go to
www.passporter.com you can
order some great Walt Disney World books for special needs. There is
a great section on food allergies.
