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Contact: Vanessa Maltin 215-692-2639 vanessa@celiaccentral.org NFCA Partners with USA Weekend for “Make a Difference Day” Five Initiatives take place nationwide to promote Celiac Awareness WASHINGTON, October 8, 2007 – The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) has partnered with USA Weekend to launch five celiac disease awareness initiatives as part of Make a Difference Day 2007, the largest national day of community service. On Saturday October 27, NFCA will sponsor and take part in activities aimed at driving diagnosis of celiac disease and improving the quality of life for those who suffer from the disease. An estimated three million Americans have celiac disease, but less than 100,000 are accurately diagnosed. The only treatment is a gluten-free diet, which means eliminating wheat, barley and rye. Raising awareness of the disease on Make a Difference Day will educate medical professionals including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and dietitians, as well as the general public, hopefully leading an increase in accurate celiac diagnoses. NFCA has formed strategic partnerships with the following organizations: Wegman’s, ShopRite, Whole Foods, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists to conduct these initiatives. The projects are as follows: 1. Wegman’s—a regional supermarket chain and one of the largest private corporations in the United States—has galvanized 71 of their stores to action. They have ordered 100,000 NFCA brochures. All of the retail locations will display “Do I Have Celiac” brochures at pharmacy and nutrition counters and gluten-free products will be sampled in the Natures’ Marketplace within the stores. Dieticians will be available in 25 stores to provide detailed information on celiac and answer questions customers may have. In addition, Wegman’s is currently developing a newsletter dedicated to celiac disease information that will be distributed through Wegman’s national listserv. Lastly, Wegman’s pharmacists will be educated about gluten in medication through materials developed in by the NFCA and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. 2. The American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) has been a close partner of NFCA in working to improve the information available to pharmacists and consumers about gluten in medication. On Make a Difference Day, ASHP will make available on its website an informational document to teach in-hospital pharmacists about celiac disease and gluten in medications. There are currently no legal requirements for the labeling of gluten in medications, making this a major step toward educating pharmacists to protect patients in hospitals with celiac disease who require medication to treat an illness. 3. ShopRite, a grocery store cooperative based in New Jersey but with stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, will display “Do I Have Celiac” brochures at their 43 locations. 4. Whole Foods, an international grocery chain, will distribute “Do I Have Celiac” Brochures at select locations, educating patrons on celiac disease. 5. NFCA’s own gluten-free, allergy-free cooking show, “Alternative Appetites” will debut a video podcast on the Celiaccentral.org website that will help people with celiac and other food allergies learn to cook and cope with their special dietary requirements. Members of the production team will also be stationed in grocery stores to talk about the disease and answer questions. ### The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for Celiac Disease. NFCA, a national organization, is affiliated with the leading researchers in the US who are working toward this goal. |
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