This is what the FAAN Walks are all about!

I recently had an amazing morning sharing thoughts, stories and ideas with Dana Gordin, one of the FAAN Walk coordinators for the Las Vegas Walk (October 6, 2012).  I have to mention the other coordinator is her hubby, Duane Gordin.  an amazing pair, for sure!  I could talk about the incredible job Dana, Duane and the Walk committee are doing for this whole post, but that could be pages and pages...

I do want to share with you one point that she and I kept on returning to during our morning visit-the truly amazing gift of what education and advocacy can do.  What the FAAN Walks are all about!  We spoke many times about the challenge children and their families face trying to teach teachers, coaches, friends, etc about the real dangers of their food allergies.  The repetitive nature of educating the people in their lives that "this"allergy means more than a need for a Kleenex, it may require the need for an emergency room.  And then we spoke about the amazing people that along the way one can meet, those that somehow just "get it" and want to be a part of that child not feeling left out; that want to be a part of understanding; that live the concept "we ALL have something we are dealing with" and do not blink twice at changing what sandwich they are sending to school with their child, because his new best buddy has a food allergy.

It is with this in my mind that I was so moved by the comments on Keeley McQuire's blog site this evening.  We are in cahoots with Keeley giving a case of SunWise sandwiches away in a drawing.  So as I am surfing through the many comments from hopeful winners, genuinely touched by the many parents' comments about their excitement to give their child a new option in their lunches.  But then I am reading one after the other posts from parents wanting to win the case so they can give it to someone they know who has a peanut allergy.  I was instantly reminded of my conversation with Dana; how touching it is when someone without a food allergy is compelled to be involved, like the LV Walk Chair Chef Keith Norman.  Just people who "get it" and are willing to share what they have learned

This is why I had to share with you Keeley's blog so you too can be touched by ALL these remarkable families wanting to do something good for someone they love and/or care about.  We wish we could give a case to all the entrants; they are all already winners in so many other ways.  You have inspired me...so keep watching...

link to Keeley's blog #c8266644069153408083

Let's Show Our Olympic Pride!

We just wanted to start this morning of the 2012 Olympic Games with some SunWise pride!

A month ago, we shared a post with you about Gabriele Anderson, an amazing young lady from SunWise's home town of Perham, MN who has survived two cancer diagnoses, but kept on running right to the Olympic trials. She just missed competing this year (she came in 4th in the 1,500m), but we know she'll be back for 2016! An inspiring story, for sure! http://www.teamusaminnesota.org/index.php/athletes/97-gabriele-anderson

As many of you also know, our SunWise family extends to the West Coast in Las Vegas, NV.  Our Las Vegas community is proud to be sending four (4) Olympians to the 2012 Games.  Each has their own incredible story; we couldn't help but express our pride and give a shout out to them all: Amanda Bingson- Hammer throw;  Khadevis Robinson - 800m; Michael Hunter - Heavyweight Boxing; and Conner Fields - BMX.  Two are UNLV Rebels; two are graduates from local high schools.
http://m.lasvegassun.com/photos/galleries/2012/jul/22/0722_2012_olympians/431343/

We would love to hear your shout outs if you have Olympians from your area.  Let's show our pride for all those competing from across the pond.  We can surely be inspired by their stories of perseverance, overcoming obstacles, and achieving dreams. 

Go Team USA - Go do your best to all our world's athletes!

Twittter Feed for @USA_Olympics
#Olympics

Off to College...what to eat?

I was proud to be a part of my niece’s”sending off” to college this past month. I enjoyed planning silly bags of goodies for late night studying, thinking of fun things to send her for a new dorm room, started a care box for her, packed with her favorite things, and a few necessities that every student should have (coffee cards, toilet paper..the really important things).  It is great to be a part all the new things that really just takes our minds off of the fact that they are really moving forward, on their own. We also decided to send her off with a fridge to give her better options, instead of living off the dining hall food. Then I started thinking about an article I read in April on the FAAN website. (http://www.foodallergy.org/page/food-allergies-and-college-making-it-work)
How would I be doing this different if my niece had a food allergy? I would certainly want to be part of putting more than “fun stuff” in her fridge.  Moreover, I would certainly need much more to take my mind off the worry of navigating thru undeclared food items on a food line.
Well, that set my brain off to think of a way for SunWise could support these students and their families.  Of course, I think our sandwiches are a no-brainer for a student. For less than $2 per sandwich-including shipping-pop one out of the freezer, toss it in the backpack… and BOOM a great snack or quick lunch is ready to be eaten between classes. But we like doing a bit more than selling a box at SunWise…we gotta make it a little fun and purposeful.
So between July 12 , 2012 and September 30, 2012, we will donate $2 for every box ordered from our website to your favorite FAAN Walk location.  After you order, send us an email at gretchen@sunwisefoods.com to specify which walk you want your order to support. Donations will be totalled on the last day of each month and sent to the respective FAAN Walk site within 48 hours.
Join us to get great tasting, safe peanut/tree nut free SunWise sandwiches in homes, lunch boxes and dorms this summer and fall, while giving an added boost to your local FAAN Walk.

Best wishes to all the students this year, from Pre-K to Grad School!

The research work published in the past few weeks regarding the higher percentages of food allergies in urban vs rural areas has certainly been the topic of many conversations and has certainly birthed the content for future research.  However, SunWise's "FAAN friend", Las Vegas Walk Chair Dana Gordin, called my attention more specifically to the eight states with the highest percentage per population of food allergies.  The states with the highest "overall prevalence of food allergies are Nevada, Florida, Georgia, Alaska, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia." 

SunWise was on our way to the Utah Food Nutrition Association Conference when I had this discussion with Dana and I began to think about what could these specific states do to combat this distinction; further what were their school districts doing to create awareness and/or address the statistic of 1 in 13 children have a potentially life-threatening food allergy (9.8% in urban areas, 6.2% in rural areas). 

Our little peanut/tree nut free sandwiches are well received in Utah and are a part of many school menus.  SunWise is making its way across the country to more School Nutrition Association Shows to introduce and maintain our SunWise Sandwiches on school menus, including a show in Nevada in August.  We have additional plans to participate in School Nutrition Association Shows in Kentucky, Texas, Arizona and Southern California also within the next several months.  We hope to be a small part in providing, not only in the eight states listed in the study, but in all 50 states and DC, a healthy and delicious option in your child's school.

SunWise Booth at Utah School Nutrition Association Conference- June 2012

SunWise Foods, LLC received a little attention last week in our home town Newspaper, The Frazee Forum.   Thought our customers would enjoy meeting Seth, the man behind the orders, in addition to learning a little more about how our yummy SunWise Sandwiches are made! 

 http://sunwisefoods.com/testimonials.html

Perham, MN - SunWise Foods, LLC announced that beginning June 1, 2012, they will begin offering their sunflower seed spread and jelly sandwich without high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  School Districts around the country will have another option when making school menu decisions for breakfast, lunch, or snacks.    

“We’ve been following the high fructose corn syrup discussion for several years now and we are very excited to bring this product to the market”, stated Bill Daggett president of SunWise Foods.  High fructose corn syrup complicates decisions made by school nutrition experts as they work to keep menus on par with national school lunch and breakfast program standards.    

SunWise Foods will be gearing up for the fall school year and anticipates many schools moving toward the high fructose corn syrup-free product.  “What I liked most about the new sandwich is that it tastes just as good as the original”, Daggett stated.

It’s still unknown whether the internet retail customers will choose the new sandwich.  SunWise Foods ships sandwiches to families across the country in boxes of 20 packed in dry ice.  “It will be fun to see if my moms and dads want to try out the new sandwich after I announce this option on Facebook and Twitter”, stated Gretchen Grierson, social media concierge.

SunWise Foods, LLC was established in 2008 and is a food manufacturing company focusing on peanut and tree nut-free products.  Contact SunWise Foods, LLC at www.sunwisefoods.com, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SunWiseFoods , or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/SunWiseFoods .