Teal Pumpkin Project Catching On

De Pere - When you take your kids trick or treating on Halloween, you might notice teal pumpkins popping up on porches.

It's an effort to make the tradition safer for kids with food allergies.

Maddie Gerondale, 10, of De Pere doesn't exactly look forward to Halloween.

"Because I don't really ever get to have any candy and everyone else does," she explained.

"She's allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, eggs, sunflower, sesame, coconut and pineapple," added her mother, Nicole Slavin.

But this yearis different.

"I like Mine Craft it's really fun. I like my favorite character in the game so I decided to dress up as one," Gerondale said.

Her new found excitement is thanks to a national campaign, which the organization Food Allergy Research and Education is encouraging people to participate in, to make trick or treating safer and more enjoyable for kids with food allergies.

This is how the Teal Pumpkin Project works. You can paint a pumpkin teal, which is the designated color for food allergy awareness or put a flieron your door which lets people know you're handing out non-food items which are safe for kids with food allergies.

"We're going to get glow sticks or glow bracelets. The dollar store is a great place or any other place where you can get large amounts like you would for a birthday party. We'll probably do pencils. Stickers are great," said Slavin.

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Teal Pumpkin Project Catching On