Join other individuals & families dealing with severe, potentially life-threatening food allergies: you are not alone!

  1. MINNESOTA TWINS BASEBALL - PEANUT-FREE SKYBOX!
  2. FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK PROCLAMATION
  3. FEDERAL FOOD ALLERGY & ANAPHYLAXIS MANAGEMENT ACT

MINNESOTA TWINS BASEBALL - PEANUT-FREE SKYBOX!

The Minnesota Twins Baseball Team is partnering with AFAA to promote a peanut-free skybox for 4 games for the 2008 season! Last year tickets sold out for the peanut-free skybox on two nights, so purchase your tickets quickly!

The peanut-free skybox dates are: 

Tuesday, May 20th - against the Texas Rangers at 7:10 p.m. CT
Monday, June 30th against the Detroit Tigers at 7:10 p.m. CT
Tuesday, July 29th against the Chicago White Sox at 7:10 p.m. CT
Monday, August 18th against the Oakland A's at 7:10 p.m. CT
Safe snacks will be available for purchase in the skybox. (Food brought into the skybox is screened.)

The skybox ticket price is a fraction the normal cost - only $30. The peanut-free skybox will be located in the Cambria skybox, which overlooks right field. AFAA volunteers will again be staffing the skybox.

To purchase tickets, call 1-800-33-TWINS and reference the peanut-free zone. Tickets can also be purchased online at the Peanut-Free Skybox ticket page.

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.

FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK PROCLAMATION

In honor of 2008 Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 11th -17th), a gubernatorial proclamation has been issued by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. The proclamation was displayed at the AFAA Food Allergy Conference & Exposition earlier this month, and will be on display in the Peanut-free Skybox on May 20th.

FEDERAL FOOD ALLERGY & ANAPHYLAXIS MANAGEMENT ACT

Legislative Update: Spearheaded by long-time food allergy champion, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), the federal Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (H.R.2063) passed the U.S. House of Representatives by voice vote.

The Senate companion bill (S.1232) now awaits a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The hearing is scheduled during Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 11th - 17th).

To become law, the bill will have to be passed out of the Senate committee, passed by the full Senate, possibly passed out of a Conference Committee and re-passed by the House of Representatives and Senate. If successful on this journey, it then goes to the President, who will hopefully sign the bill into law.

The Congressional bill is similar to the Epinephrine in Schools law spearheaded by AFAA and passed into law - after heavy lobbyist opposition and near failure on the last day of session! - in 2004. The federal bill incorporates many elements of the Minnesota law https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=121A.2205 and components of Minnesota School Food Allergy Guidelines currently being drafted by an AFAA task force.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Summary:
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2007 -

Authors: Chief Author: Senator Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT)

Co-Authors (states they represent are in brackets; dates refer to when they signed on as co-authors): 

Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] - 5/15/2007
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 5/1/2007
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] - 4/30/2007
Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] - 5/22/2007
Sen Dorgan, Byron L. [ND] - 4/28/2008
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 5/16/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 5/22/2007
Sen Murray, Patty [WA] - 9/25/2007
Sen Reed, Jack [RI] - 4/30/2007
Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] - 12/12/2007
For information on the status of the bill see: http://thomas.loc.gov and enter S.1232 (choose "bill number")

To see the text of the bill see: Text of Senate bill: thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.1232

5-Minute Advocacy: Contact Minnesota's U.S. Senators, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Norm Coleman, to encourage their support for the bill. Their contact information is below: 

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

1200 Washington Avenue South, Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Main Line: 612-727-5220
Main Fax: 612-727-5223
Toll Free: 1-888-224-9043
Rochester Office

1134 7th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901
Main Line: 507-288-5321
Fax: 507-288-2922
Moorhead Office

121 4th Street South
Moorhead, MN 56560
Main Line: 218-287-2219
Fax: 218-287-2930
Iron Range Office

Olcott Plaza, Suite 105
820 9th Street North
Virginia, MN 55792
Main Line: 218-741-9690
Fax:218-741-3692
Toll Free Number:

1-888-224-9043


Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN)

302 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3244
fax: 202-228-2186


DC and State Offices


Washington Office:
320 Senate Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-5641
Fax: 202-224-1152
Scheduling: 202-228-1503

Minnesota Office in St. Paul:
2550 University Ave W, Suite 100N
St. Paul, MN 55114
Main: 651-645-0323
Fax: 651-645-3110
Toll Free: 800-642-6041

Minnesota Office in Mankato:
12 Civic Center Plaza
Suite 2167
Mankato, Minnesota 56001
Main: 507-625-6800
Fax: 507-625-9427

Minnesota Office in Grand Rapids:
200 Northbank Center 206B
Northeast 3rd Street
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Main: 218-327-9333
Fax: 218-327-8637

You may also contact Senator Coleman by using his e-mail form:

The Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy Association of Minnesota is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, advocate and to support those with life-threatening food allergies, and to support their families. It began in September 2001, and was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit in May 2003. Members include families, doctors, nurses, dietician and teachers.

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