Peoria Heights, IL – March 1, 2025 – Red Sneakers Peoria has partnered with Leaves’ n Beans, in Peoria Heights, IL to become the First Allergy Friendly Coffee shop in the area. They will be the first coffee shop in the area to have undesignated epinephrine. Epinephrine is the only medication to help reverse a severe allergic reaction. Red Sneakers Peoria has partnered with Auvi-q, the epinephrine injector that talks to you while using the medication, to donate the epinephrine injectors. Leaves’ n Beans staff will receive food allergy certificates from FARE Check, ServSafe. The education, training, certifications and medications will be donated by Red Sneakers Peoria.
1 in 13 children have a life-threatening food allergy and restaurants are the second most common place for a reaction to occur outside of the home. Due to epinephrine costs and or lack of education, many people do not carry epinephrine for themselves or their child. Under the Illinois Epinephrine Injector Act/and Public Act 100-0726, any entity is able to be epinephrine injector equipped by following guidelines. Red Sneakers Peoria is providing a comprehensive solution to meet those requirements.
Additional initiatives include; growing the support group, promoting awareness through the Morton Pumpkin Festival Parade & Education Booth, lighting the Murray Baker Bridge RED, planning the first local allergy friendly sporting event, collaborating with MASA to provide better access to therapies for local families, sending a representative to FARE Courage at Congress, providing allergy camp opportunities, organizing other fragmented allergy groups across the country.
Later this year, the Peoria Chapter is hosting their Third Annual 5K Walk/Run for Food Allergy Awareness and Teal Pumpkin Fall Festival on October 11, 2025, in Peoria Heights, Illinois. You can sign up for the race, donate, fundraise or sponsor to help provide epinephrine auto-injectors to local first responders and to help make more restaurants in Peoria, IL, allergy friendly.
