Red Sneakers for Oakley

08/18/2026

The FAA has proposed new rules for emergency medical kits aboard commercial aircraft. While the proposal recognizes anaphylaxis as a life-threatening emergency airlines must be prepared to treat, it does NOT clearly require epinephrine to be available on every flight.

The proposed rule moves away from a clear requirement to carry epinephrine and instead allows for treatment options that MAY include it — despite longstanding concerns about access to epinephrine during in-flight emergencies.

This is not only about passengers who already know they have an allergy. Someone with an undiagnosed allergy can experience their first-ever anaphylactic reaction on a flight, and the aircraft’s emergency medical kit may be the only source of lifesaving treatment available.

Or maybe someone administers their own epi but needs another dose.

Passengers and crew should not have to wonder whether it is onboard, whether someone knows how to draw the correct dose from a vial, or whether the right delivery option is available.

**The public has until October 5, 2026, to make its voice heard.**

We urge the food allergy community — and everyone who believes passengers deserve access to lifesaving emergency treatment — to submit a public comment asking the FAA to require:

🔴 Epinephrine on every commercial passenger aircraft
🔴 Dosing for children AND adults
🔴 A modern, easy-to-use delivery option that can be administered quickly in an emergency
🔴 Clear, consistent standards across airlines

Access to epinephrine should not depend on which airline you happen to be flying. It should be on EVERY flight, period.

Speak up before October 5. Your comment can help shape the final rule and make air travel safer for everyone.

👉 Leave a public comment here:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/05/2026-15929/improving-emergency-medical-kit-efficacy-and-flexibility-in-commercial-airline-operations #

FAA Docket: FAA-2026-9178

08/17/2026

For the food allergy community, these are everyday realities. For everyone else, they may be things you’ve never had to think about.

It’s the mental load behind every meal. The trust it takes to eat food someone else prepared. The hesitation before asking yet another question. The anxiety before a restaurant visit, vacation, party or holiday gathering. The constant planning, checking, explaining and advocating that happens quietly in the background.

These are conversations worth bringing outside of the food allergy community. Because the more people understand what living with food allergies actually looks and feels like, the less of that burden has to be carried alone.

So how do we help more people understand? We start talking about it.

A great place to start is by hosting a Red Sneaker Day—an awareness event designed to educate your school, workplace or community about food allergies, anaphylaxis and how to help keep people with food allergies safe. And you don’t have to plan it alone. ❤️👟 We can help you bring a Red Sneaker Day to your community. Email [email protected] to get started.

What’s something about living with food allergies that you wish more people understood? Let us know in the comments.

Should we make a Part 2 post?

08/09/2026

Aquestive Therapeutics is on track to resubmit its FDA application this fall for Anaphylm, its dissolving epinephrine film designed to be placed in the mouth.

The company is currently completing additional FDA-requested “human factors” studies evaluating how patients use the product in real-world situations, including opening the packaging and correctly placing the film in the mouth.

Learn more 👇

Did you see this? Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. says it's on track to re-submit it's application to the FDA this fall for approval of its dissolving epinephrine film — Anaphylm. The additional FDA-requested 'human factors' studies on how patients use the film (opening packaging, placement in the mouth) are in the works. Learn what Aquestive's doing to prepare for Anaphylm's anticipated launch: https://www.allergicliving.com/2026/05/15/aquestive-says-its-on-track-to-launch-anaphylm-studies-for-fda/

“I truly believe Anaphylm is a product that will save lives and we want as many people as possible on this planet to ultimately have access to it,” CEO Dan Barber says.

08/06/2026

Please join us in wishing Merrill (Oakley’s mom) a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Thank you for all you do, Merrill! 🎂 🎉

08/06/2026

🎒📚 Back-to-School Giveaway for Food Allergy Awareness! We’re kicking off the school year with a prize pack you won’t want to miss.

👉 Pair of Red Sneakers
👉 Insulated Epinephrine Carrying Case
👉 "Ask Me Why I Wear Red Sneakers" t-shirt
👉 Drawstring Backpack
👉 Soccer ball
👉 Red sneaker keychains
👉 Magnet
👉 Stickers
👉 Bracelets
👉 Lanyard
👉 Folder

HOW TO ENTER:
1️⃣ Like this post
2️⃣ Comment on this post
3️⃣ Follow

BONUS ENTRIES:
Tag a friend. Each friend you tag in a SEPARATE comment will count as a bonus entry.

GOOD LUCK! 😃

To learn more about Red Sneakers for Oakley, visit REDSNEAKERS.ORG

[Contest ends August 20th at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be announced and notified on or after August 18th. Contest is open to entrants worldwide on Facebook and Instagram. One winner will be selected. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by or associated with Meta.]

07/31/2026

College brings new freedom, new routines—and for students with food allergies, a new level of responsibility. Before move-in day, take time to create a plan for staying safe on campus:

🔴 Connect with the college before arriving. Contact Disability or Accessibility Services, campus health services, housing and dining services to discuss accommodations and emergency procedures.

🔴 Meet with dining staff. Ask how allergens are identified, how meals are prepared and what steps are taken to reduce cross-contact. Learn which dining locations and menu options are safest for you.

🔴 Talk openly with your roommate. Explain your allergies, what foods need to stay out of shared spaces, how to recognize a reaction and where you keep your epinephrine.

🔴 Carry two doses of epinephrine at all times. Do not leave them in your dorm room, car or backpack across campus. Check expiration dates and request refills before leaving home.

🔴 Share your emergency plan. Trusted friends, roommates, teammates and resident assistants should know where your medication is, how to use it and that epinephrine should be administered immediately when anaphylaxis is suspected.

🔴 Know how to get help. Save campus security and emergency numbers in your phone, identify the nearest hospital and learn where stock epinephrine may be available on campus.

🔴 Advocate for yourself—every time. Ask questions before eating, read labels carefully and never feel pressured to take a chance just because speaking up feels inconvenient.

College should be filled with new experiences—not unnecessary risks. Preparation, communication and immediate access to epinephrine can help students enjoy this next chapter with greater confidence and independence. ❤️👟

07/21/2026

School is right around the corner, so now's the time to confirm that your child’s school is truly prepared—not only to prevent exposure, but to recognize and respond to anaphylaxis quickly.

A few important steps parents may not always think about:

🔴 Review or establish a 504 Plan. A 504 Plan can document the accommodations and protections your child needs throughout the school day, including in the classroom, cafeteria, on the bus, during field trips, and at extracurricular activities.

🔴 Request self-carry approval. When appropriate, self-carry authorization allows students to keep their epinephrine with them so it is immediately accessible—not locked away in another part of the school.

🔴 Update the Emergency Action Plan. Review your child’s plan with the school nurse and administration, provide current physician instructions, and confirm that everyone understands when and how to administer epinephrine.

🔴 Check every device and expiration date. Confirm that the school has the correct medication, the devices have not expired, and backup doses are available when possible.

🔴 Ask who is trained. Reactions do not only happen in the nurse’s office. Teachers, substitutes, coaches, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, and aftercare staff should know how to recognize anaphylaxis and respond.

🔴 Plan for field trips, sports, and after-school activities. Ask who will carry epinephrine, where it will be stored, and whether a trained adult will be present whenever your child leaves the main campus.

🔴 Discuss cafeteria and classroom procedures. Review handwashing, food-sharing rules, classroom celebrations, cleaning procedures, ingredient communication, and how staff will prevent your child from feeling isolated.

🔴 Make sure emergency medication is easy to find. Epinephrine should be accessible within minutes—not behind a locked door, in an unknown location, or dependent on one specific staff member being available.

Do you have any tips for other parents? Drop them in the comments!

06/27/2026

Today, on what would have been Oakley’s 21st birthday, we pause to honor the young man whose life continues to guide everything we do at Red Sneakers for Oakley. To celebrate his life, we are launching a special birthday fundraiser with a goal of raising $21,000 which would allow us to equip 21 restaurants with emergency epinephrine and provide life‑saving staff training through our Epi Everywhere program.

Will you consider a gift of $21 in honor of the 21st birthday Oakley never got to celebrate?

Every donation helps place life-saving emergency epinephrine where it's needed most and trains staff to recognize and respond to anaphylaxis before it’s too late.

❤️ You can donate here: give-usa.keela.co/21-for-oakley

Thank you for helping us celebrate this milestone in the most meaningful way possible—by protecting others and creating a legacy of safety, awareness, and hope in Oakley's name 🙏

06/23/2026

Food allergies may feel like recent issue, but people have actually been noticing food-related reactions for centuries.👇

Long before terms like "food allergy" or "anaphylaxis" existed, ancient Greek and Roman writers observed that the same food could affect different people in different ways. While historians can't definitively diagnose these cases today, many point to these early accounts as some of the first clues that certain foods could be harmful to some individuals while completely harmless to others.

The word allergy itself didn't arrive until 1906, when Austrian pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet introduced the term to describe the body's altered reaction to foreign substances. The word comes from the Greek words allos ("other") and ergon ("reaction" or "work").

Over the decades, researchers continued to uncover the science behind allergic reactions. A major breakthrough came in the 1960s with the discovery of IgE, the antibody responsible for many immediate allergic reactions. That discovery helped pave the way for many of the diagnostic tools, treatments, and research advances we rely on today.

We've come a long way—from a time when people simply observed mysterious reactions to a world with clearer food labeling, life-saving epinephrine, and FDA-approved therapies.

Did you find this as interesting as we did? Let us know in the comments 👇