Learn more about our advocacy day where we presented our National Food Allergy Action Plan to MPs and Senators on Parliament Hill. Get to know the winners of the Pryde Family Travel Grant and now that summer is almost here, check out our tips on staying safe. Plus, if your child is heading to summer camp, be sure to read our list of things to keep in mind as you prepare.
Our National Food Allergy Action Plan has launched!
Thank you for contacting your MPs and supporting the launch of our National Food Allergy Action Plan. We, in partnership with with the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI), had a successful day presenting our action plan to MPs and Senators at Parliament Hill last month. The launch of this action plan is the first step in making food allergy a public health priority and driving real change.
At our advocacy day reception, we had wide-ranging discussions on the path toward prevention of food allergy and improving health and quality of life outcomes for Canadians living with this condition. We are looking forward to continuing the dialogue.
Be sure to review our action plan, read our press release, and watch our “Faces of food allergy” video released as part of the launch. Thanks to those of you who participated in the video and for sharing your story.
Stay tuned! We will be taking the National Food Allergy Action Plan to the next federal election. Please watch for our campaign toolkit to become more involved.
Jennifer Gerdts, our Executive Director 
Dr. Harold Kim, CSACI president 
MP Pam Damoff 
MP Don Davies 
Kristina Mariano speaks on behalf of families with food allergy 
Christian Di Criscio and his mom Carla speak on behalf of families with food allergy 
Christopher Holcroft, Jennifer Gerdts, MP Arif Verani, and Dr. Harold Kim 
Jennifer Gerdts, MP Marilyn Gladu 
Dr. Edmond Chan and MP Jenny Kwan 
Beatrice Povolo, Elizabeth May, leader of Green Party, Dr. Julia Upton, Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan, and Annie Boisvert 
Beatrice Povolo, MP Bev Shipley, Dr. Edmond Chan, Marilyn Allen and Joni Huang
2019 Pryde Family Travel Grant Winners: Dr. Pauline Azzano and Dr. Lianne Soller
Our annual Pryde Family Travel Grant was established in honour of the Pryde Family, as well as the family and friends of Sean Delaney, who have hosted The Sean Delaney Golf Memorial Classic since 2007, the year that Sean passed away from an anaphylactic reaction.
Each year the Pryde Family Travel Grant provides two $500 awards – one for a medical student and one for an allied health professional, who have an interest in food allergy/anaphylaxis. The funds help to offset expenses for attending an academic program or event related to food allergy.
We are pleased to announce the 2019 grant recipients, Dr. Pauline Azzano and Dr. Lianne Soller, who used their grants to present allergy research at two important conferences in 2019.
Dr. Pauline Azzano
Dr. Azzano is a fellow at the Allergy Clinic at CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal, Quebec. Dr. Azzano used her grant to attend the EAACI Congress 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal earlier this month, where she presented a poster about gastrointestinal symptoms and their management during Omalizumab-enabled oral immunotherapy at the clinic of Sainte-Justine Hospital.
Dr. Lianne Soller
Dr. Soller is an allied healthcare professional working with Dr. Edmond Chan in British Columbia. Lianne used her grant to attend the AAAAI Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California, in February 2019, where she presented a poster on the safety of real-world peanut oral immunotherapy in preschool aged children, and an oral presentation on her work in food allergy anxiety.
Congratulations Drs Azzano and Soller!
Summer tips
With summer around the corner, be sure to check our tips to ensure a fun and allergy-safe summer for all: