Red Sneaker Day Spotlight: Palm Beach Day Academy

Red Sneaker Days provides a “day” when everyone wears their red sneakers/shoes (or anything red) and participates together to raise awareness for the dangers of food allergies. The goal is not only to increase education and awareness to the communities of those suffering with food allergies, but just as importantly, to educate those who are not directly affected by them.

Palm Beach Day Academy (PBDA) hosted their second annual Red Sneaker Day to help educate the students, staff and parents about food allergies. PBDA has many students with food allergies, so the school is committed to putting practices in place in order to keep those students safe. On their Red Sneaker Day, PBDA provided Red Sneakers for Oakley (RSFO) T-Shirts for every student to wear and encouraged them to wear their red sneakers.

RSFO Co-founder, Merrill Debbs, kicked off an assembly for the students by sharing Oakley’s story and playing a fun “Fact or Myth Food Allergy Game.” Then special guests Dr. Ruchi Gupta, Dr. Elena Perez, and Riya Jain spoke with the students. Riya Jain is in 11th grade in Chicago, IL. She co-authored 13 Can Words and all the books in The Class That Can: Staying Healthy series. Riya believes in developing a “CAN mindset” so you can focus on the positive and all the amazing things you CAN do! Riya shared this “CAN mindset” with the students and read one of her books to teach the students some very important lessons on food allergies and anaphylaxis.

Following the student assembly, both allergists, Dr. Gupta and Dr. Perez, took time to speak with parents of PBDA students who have food allergies. The allergists presented the latest research and upcoming developments in the allergy world. Parents were given time to ask any questions they have regarding their children’s allergies and to discuss common difficulties of having a child with food allergies.