Tim McLoone to be honorary chair

LONG BRANCH, N.J. – New Jersey's Tim McLoone is best known for being a restaurateur, musician and athlete, and has long been a leading philanthropist with his nonprofit Holiday Express. Now he's adding another cause under his belt: fighting food allergies.

McLoone, whose 7-year-old daughter has a peanut allergy, will be the Honorary Chair of the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy : Moving Toward A Cure, in Long Branch September 7.

The Walk for Food Allergy raises awareness and funds for food allergy education and research. The Walks are held nationwide to support the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), the world's largest nonprofit organization providing information about food allergy to the media, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials, as well as the food-allergic community.

This is the first time the Walk will be held in Long Branch . The event starts at the Great Lawn, north of Pier Village . The Walk begins at 10 a.m., with check-in for participants at 9 a.m. Frank Dicopoulos of CBS's soap opera “Guiding Light” is the emcee for the event. New Jersey musicians mr. RAY and Rockit! For Kids will provide entertainment, and food companies will be on hand to provide allergen-free samples.

McLoone's daughter, Hannah, suffered a reaction to peanut butter as a young toddler. “She had a peanut butter cracker and ballooned right away,” he said. Since then, the McLoone family has had to be on guard at school, parties and other situations where food is served.

“People don't realize how hard it is,” he said. “It's one of those situations that needs a light shone on it.” And McLoone said if using his name helps in any way, then he is happy to get involved.

Hannah is one of nearly 85,000 New Jersey schoolchildren who have food allergies, which has no cure. An estimated 150-200 people die every year from fatal reactions, and another 30,000 people visit the emergency room to receive life saving treatment for food-induced anaphylaxis.

McLoone is owner of McLoone's Rum Runner in Sea Bright, McLoone's Pier House in Long Branch , McLoone's at Favorites in Fords and the Salt Water Beach Cafe and Tim McLoone's Supper Club in Asbury Park . He is also the founder of Holiday Express, a volunteer, non-profit and non-sectarian organization dedicated to bringing music, gifts and holiday cheer to those less fortunate.

“Guiding Light” Star Frank Dicopoulos to Emcee Food Allergy Walk in Long Branch on Sept. 7, 2008

LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Frank Dicopoulos, who plays the role of Frank Cooper on the CBS soap opera “Guiding Light,” adds another role to his repertoire on September 7 when he acts as master of ceremonies for the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy : Moving Toward A Cure in Long Branch .

Dicopoulos, a resident of Monmouth Beach , said he was spurred to action by watching his friends deal with their children's severe food allergies, as well as his own shrimp allergy.

“I've heard all the horror stories of parents dealing with peanut allergies and other allergies,” said Dicopoulos, who has played Frank Cooper since 1987. “It's scary. You never like to see your loved ones go through this.”

Dicopoulos, also a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, has long been involved in charity work. He said many of his philanthropic efforts focus on children. “Every child deserves a fair shot in life,” said Dicopoulos, who is married to actress/writer Teja Anderson and is the father of two children, Jaden, 14, and Olivia, 11.

Besides Dicopoulos, other celebrities will be present at the Walk, including children's singer/songwriter mr. RAY and the children's rock group Rockit! For Kids. Restaurateur and musician Tim McLoone, whose 7-year-old daughter has a peanut allergy, is Honorary Chair.

Like Dicopoulos , New Jersey rocker Ray Andersen, aka mr. RAY, and Rockit! For Kids founder Bruce Gallipani, a Middletown musician, music teacher, and former member of the band Xdavis, became aware of the challenges for kids with food allergies through their friends.

Andersen's bookings manager, Cheri Golub, has a son, Zachary, with a severe peanut allergy. Also, the daughter of Andersen's part-time bassist, as well as two children who sing with the mr. RAY band, have food allergies. Andersen said he realizes that for children with food allergies and their parents, it's not simply a matter of avoiding certain foods. “The consequences are much more severe. It's a real eye-opener,” said Andersen, a resident of Highland Park .

Gallipani said some of the Rockit! For Kids performers have food allergies. “My friend Jo Ann Molnar mentioned that she is involved with this organization and how important it is to create awareness for the many people suffering with food allergies, especially our children,” he said. Molnar is Walk Chair and a member of the Food Allergy Support Group of Monmouth County (FASGMC). Her son, who has severe food allergies, is one of Gallipani's drum students.

Nearly 85,000 New Jersey children have food allergies, for which there is no cure. An estimated 150 to 200 Americans die every year from fatal reactions, and another 30,000 people visit the emergency room to receive life-saving treatment for food-induced anaphylaxis.

The Walk for Food Allergy, held in 26 cities nationwide, raises awareness and funds for food allergy education and research. The Walks are organized by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), the world's leader in food allergy information.

This is the first time the Walk will be held in Long Branch . The September 7, 2008, event starts at the Great Lawn, north of Pier Village . The Walk begins at 10:00 A.M. , with check-in for participants at 9:00 A.M. mr. RAY and Rockit! For Kids will provide entertainment, and food companies will be on hand to provide allergen-free samples.

To register to walk, visit www.foodallergywalk.org/longbranch_nj.

ABOUT FAAN

Founded in 1991, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is the world leader in information about food allergy, a potentially fatal condition that afflicts approximately 12 million Americans, or one out of every 25, and is rapidly increasing in prevalence. A nonprofit organization based in Fairfax , Va. , FAAN has 30,000 members in the U.S. , Canada , and 62 other countries. It is dedicated to increasing public awareness of food allergy and its consequences, to educating people about the condition, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by it. FAAN provides information and educational resources about food allergy to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. For more information, please visit FAAN at www.foodallergy.org, www.faankids.org, and www.faanteen.org.

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Veronica Scanlon, (l-r), Frank Dicopoulos, Cheri Golub, Tim McLoone and Jo Ann Molnar take a break after discussing the FAAN Walk for Food Allergies to be held in Long Branch, N.J. on Sept. 7 2008. Dicopoulos, a star of CBS's "Guiding Light," will emcee and restaurateur and musician Tim McLoone, whose 7-year-old daughter has a peanut allergy, is honorary chair of the Walk. Scanlon, Golub and Molnar, all mothers of children with food allergies, are organizing the event. The Walk raises awareness and funds for food allergy education and research.
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