Date/Time
Date(s) - 05/02/2019
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location
Wellesley Country Club
End Allergies Together (E.A.T.), a non-profit organization that solely funds research for the growing food allergy epidemic affecting approximately 32 million Americans, will host its inaugural greater Boston fundraising event “An Evening to EAT” on Thursday, May 2 at the Wellesley Country Club. The evening will honor entrepreneur and food allergy advocate Matt Bomes with the Courage Award, while popular Boston radio host and TV personality Candy O’Terry will serve as host. The fundraiser includes cocktails, dinner and a live auction.
Food allergies barely existed 40 years ago, yet today approximately one in 10 adults and one in 12 children are living with food allergies, according to new adult prevalence data published by The Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open and childhood data published by Pediatrics. These studies found that more than 50 percent of adults and 42 percent of children with food allergies have suffered a severe food allergy reaction such as potentially life threatening anaphylaxis.
E.A.T. was co-founded in 2015 by Wellesley residents Elise and Greg Bates, whose daughter is severely allergic to eggs and nuts, to help bridge the significant gap in research funding for this growing epidemic. Since then, E.A.T has committed more than $1.5 million to fund eight promising research efforts across eleven top institutions, including two leading institutions in the Boston area: The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Boston Children’s Hospital. James Beard Award-winning, Boston-based Chef Ming Tsai starred in EAT’s first national Public Service Announcement (PSA), ‘Could You EAT?’ to heighten awareness of the life-threatening dangers people with food allergies face every time they eat. Their second PSA, “Give and Go,” starred Hall of Fame football player Jerome Bettis and promoted the importance of giving epinephrine and going to call 911 during anaphylaxis.
Proceeds from the evening’s event will go towards E.A.T.’s new initiative, the E.A.T. $1 Million Anaphylaxis Challenge to the scientific community to accelerate or discover novel ways to detect, prevent or better treat anaphylaxis. According to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, “Anaphylaxis represents one of the most urgent of medical emergencies, in which rapid diagnosis and prompt and appropriate treatment can mean the difference between life and death.”
Bomes experienced his first allergic reaction to a candy bar with nuts when he was in fourth grade, while watching a Wellesley High School football game. Diagnosed as severely allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds, he has since developed additional allergies to chickpeas, and red-skinned fruits, as well as Food-Dependent Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis (FDEIAn). He has suffered anaphylaxis 16 times. Now at age 24, he founded a solutions-oriented lifestyle brand called Bantam, dedicated to empowering allergy families. His company is building a digital community to serve as the central hub for allergy information, education and product essential, with a unique community-building strategy that provides direct access to patients and their families.
“It means the world to me to be honored by End Allergies Together. We have to fund the top researchers to find a cure for food allergies so we can end this epidemic,” says Bomes. “Food allergies are real, and they are dangerous. Anaphylaxis can be fatal, and it does not discriminate against anybody. It could be you, a family member, your kids or a stranger.”
Candy O’Terry’s voice is one of the most recognizable in Boston, after spending 25 years as a radio personality/host on Magic 106.7, as well as the creator and co-host of the Exceptional Women radio show, 16 Life Lessons and the weekly podcast series The Story Behind Her Success. O’Terry recently profiled Bates about what it means to have a child with food allergies who is constantly vulnerable to potentially life-threatening perils, and what E.A.T. is doing to help find cures [listen here]. The president and co-founder of Boston Women in Media & Entertainment, O’Terry is also the recipient of 45 local and national awards for excellence in women’s programming.
“I am honored to host E.A.T.’s fundraiser and help raise crucial money for research to find treatments,” says O’Terry, the event’s host and also Bomes’ aunt. “As a boy with a severe food allergy, Matt always wondered why people didn’t understand how life threatening this condition Being a ‘victim’ never occurred to Matt. Instead, this young man has made it his mission to change the experience of having a food allergy into an opportunity to be strong and resilient — and now make a major difference.”
Tickets start at $250 for individuals; $3,500 for tables. To purchase tickets online, please visit: EATGalaMA.givesmart.com For more information regarding the organization itself, please visit EndAllergiesTogether.com
About End Allergies Together (E.A.T.)
End Allergies Together (“E.A.T”) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization focused solely on raising
money for food allergy research. Proceeds go directly to the researchers dedicated to finding
answers for this growing epidemic affecting 32 million Americans and over 220 million people
globally. E.A.T was launched in May 2015 to help bridge the significant gap in research funding.
Press Contacts:
Kriskey Lane Communica5ons
Susan Kriskey, susan@kriskeylane.com
Marni Lane, marni@kriskeylane.com
