It’s finally Halloween and that means thousands of people will be out trick or treating.
But when you’re out and about, you might notice a different colored pumpkin at some houses.
Teal pumpkins are making their way into Halloween decorations nationwide. It’s all part of the Teal Pumpkin Project.
The Teal Pumpkin Project is a nationwide initiative to raise awareness about children with food allergies.
Food allergies have increased by 50 percent over the past 20 years and Halloween can be hard for those with food allergies. It's estimated that 8 million kids, or one in 13 have food allergies making trick-or-treating tricky.
“This helps raise awareness for kids and their families to talk to them about food allergies. It's a lifestyle. Your whole lives change,” said Michele Schroeder who organized a local Teal Pumpkin Project event last year.
A teal pumpkin on a porch signifies that families in the home have non-food Halloween treats for kids with food allergies but still also have candy for those who don’t have allergies.
“Trick or treating is a community event and we want to make sure all children can be safe,” said Kara Hill, founder of the Quad City Family Allergy Network.
Anything from stickers, play dough, glow sticks, toys and even spare change can be given in place of candy.
For a list of local trick-or-treating times, click here.
