Gluten Free Candy Egg Hunt

[sillyactsue]

This is so cool.

Upon hearing that my 2 1/2 year old daughter would not be participating in Beavers Bend state park egg hunt due to gluten in the candy, Frank (the coordinater of the hunt) decided to make one area a gluten free section. He isn't going to tell anyone but us that there is a gluten free area or at least where it is so she will be right in there with all the other kids ( 3 and under anyway).

They usually have about 500 kids at the hunt. I think I will mention it to the local paper and see if they will run it to try to help inform more people about gluten and give kudos to people like Frank who go to the effort to educate themselves and do something positive for kids in these kind of situations.

Gloria

[HawkFire]

What about the kids who can't have peanuts? I'm not agreeing with you that this is a good idea. The state, the country, local governments... schools, etc... cannot acommodate all the different dietary issues. Should they have eggs filled with treats for diabetics? Participation doesn't require that the child eat the gluten filled candy. Participate but find a solution such as trading the child for the gluten filled candies. Give the child a tootsie roll for a kit kat. You know? Nothing's perfect or perfectly fair. You learn to deal, not expect everyone else to deal. Everyone has problems. It's an unrealistic expectation. I can envision an egg hunt where diabetics, dairy intolerant, peanut allergic, gluten intolerant, soy allergic, latex allergic etc.. .kids are all cordoned off into separate fields... an egg with a gluten candy rolls into the field for Celiacs, a child is "poisoned" and lawsuits are filed.

[Lisa]

For goodness sake..... Gloria is talking about a children's Easter Egg Hunt and a nice guy named Frank.

Frank gets a cheer from me. And Gloria, I hope your daughter has a marvelous time.

Happy Easter!

[shayesmom]

I think it's a great thing that Frank has offered to do this. I wish that there were more people out there who empathize and actually DO something to include everyone.

As for peanut allergies, diabetics and other allergies and the potential for lawsuits.....there's always the chance that someone will ruin things for the entire bunch. Just look at how a positive post was quickly turned around to focus on the negative..... But you know, I really don't think that it would be impossible to accomodate all of these kids. Perhaps it would be a viable alternative for events such as these to have things like toys, stickers, etc. as prizes in the eggs as opposed to candy all of the time. What the heck do 3 year-olds need that much candy for anyway?! And why couldn't there be a situation where the eggs contained prize vouchers of varying worth? There could be a tent set up with all sorts of prizes where the children could pick out something that they would want (including candy, toys, jewelry, t-shirts, books, etc.). I guess that I don't understand why everything has to be centered around (junk) food. And I guess that I don't understand why people get entrenched in the idea that these things have to be a certain way and can never change.

And I don't understand why it is so difficult to ask that people begin thinking "outside of the box" and consider ways to make ALL people feel more included...it is possible to do sometimes. As for "learning to deal"....of course we all have to learn how to deal. Most of us grasp this concept fairly quickly. But I don't think it's a bad thing for people not afflicted with this disorder to stretch their horizons a bit and perhaps find ways to make a few accomodations for others when and if possible. I can only imagine how people with handicaps would "learn to deal" if someone hadn't pushed for elevators, ramps and designated parking spaces for them somewhere along the way. Perhaps they should just stay home where they belong??? Personally....I don't believe that this is a reasonable or rational point of view.

So kudos to Frank for going the extra mile...when it wasn't required. I hope that your dd enjoys the hunt!

[sillyactsue]

Thanks shayesmom and momma goose. I am smiling about all the different reactions any one topic can cause in different people.

I did not ask Frank to do this. My older daughter works for him at the parks nature center. That is how he found out about gluten sensitivity. I have no problem dealing with it. I had no problem with my daughter not participating because she has only on very rare occasions had candy.

As far as future law suits against the park, I think that as my daughters parent I am responsible to make sure the candy in her eggs is actually gluten free. The same for any parent with a child with any of the problems listed by hawkfire. Although I may rethink telling the local paper without asking Frank first. I was thinking of the educational benefit it would have not only to inform more people about celiac/guten sensitivity but to see someone praised for thinking outside the box. What do the rest of you think.

Some of the eggs have tokens for stuffed animals in them (the camo ones ).

gloria

[confused]

I think it is wonderful they are doing that there.

Our easter egg hunt here is only for eggs, and then a few will have stickers on themt o show you have won an prize. The prizes are toys or coupons for different places. My kids have never won an prize tho. We dont always go tho cause the eggs get stepped on and everything by the time they get them. I really wish they would do plastic eggs with prizes, instead of real eggs that make messes.

Tell Frank he is a great guy for doing that.

paula

[shayesmom]

Thanks shayesmom and momma goose. I am smiling about all the different reactions any one topic can cause in different people.

I did not ask Frank to do this. My older daughter works for him at the parks nature center. That is how he found out about gluten sensitivity. I have no problem dealing with it. I had no problem with my daughter not participating because she has only on very rare occasions had candy.

As far as future law suits against the park, I think that as my daughters parent I am responsible to make sure the candy in her eggs is actually gluten free. The same for any parent with a child with any of the problems listed by hawkfire. Although I may rethink telling the local paper without asking Frank first. I was thinking of the educational benefit it would have not only to inform more people about celiac/guten sensitivity but to see someone praised for thinking outside the box. What do the rest of you think.

Some of the eggs have tokens for stuffed animals in them (the camo ones ).

gloria

I do think that you should ask Frank prior to advertising that there's a gluten-free section to the Easter Egg hunt. Hawkfire is correct in the fact that we live in a litigious society. Frank should have the choice of whether or not he's going to advertise this decision...much less take on the added responsibility/liability. If you'd like, you could always send in an op-ed article to the paper about how Frank made this accomodation....AFTER the hunt occurred. Perhaps if he got positive feedback from others in the same boat, he would consider doing it on a larger scale next year....WITH advertisement.

I must say though....I am sooo jealous that you have such a great guy in charge of the Easter Egg hunt over there! lol!! Be sure to pat him on the back often and compliment him on his pioneering spirit!

[vampella]

I think frank is a great person. Your very lucky to have someone that is willing to do that for your family

I'm totally freaking out about easter. This is my first and I'm scared. I don't know what to do, I think DH & I are going to thestore to call all the companies tonight.