“Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness”, sponsored by Mylan Specialty (the U.S. marketer of the EpiPen), is an offshoot of the company’s “Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis” initiative, with TV star and allergy mom Julie Bowen acting as a celebrity spokesperson. Earlier this year, AL interviewed Bowen, who has a son with life-threatening allergies to bee stings, walnuts and peanuts, and spoke with her about what it was like to play the new role of allergy mom.

“It’s been a real eye-opener to realize how many parents, like me, didn’t know their child had life-threatening allergies until anaphylaxis occurred,” said Bowen in a press release.

In order to cast a vote for a district, anyone can vist anaphylaxis101.com, register, sign in and select their district. Votes can be cast once per day, and there will be special days announced where a single vote is worth extra.

“Anaphylaxis can occur quickly, making fast action and response critical. The Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness competition is an easy way to help promote anaphylaxis education in school communities across the country so people are prepared to respond,” said Dr. Hemant Sharma, a contributor to Allergic Living, in a press release.

The competition will be open until October 1, 2013 for individuals aged 13 and older. To vote for your district, and for complete competition rules, visit anaphylaxis101.com.

But in real life, Julie Bowen is one of us: an allergy mom with a son at risk of anaphylaxis. She found out the hard way – through an anaphylactic reaction – that her son, now 5 years old, has severe allergies to peanuts, walnuts and bee stings.

Recently, on the Anderson Live talk show with Anderson Cooper, Bowen described how her son at  the age of 2 ate peanut butter for the second or third time and “and, conveniently, was stung by a bee seconds later and went into full anaphylaxis.”

Well aware that her son now spends his daytime hours at school, and in the care of teachers and other staff, Bowen is raising awareness through Mylan Specialty’s “Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis” campaign at www.Anaphylaxis101.com. (Mylan is the manufacturer of the EpiPen brand auto-injector.)

In a news release, Bowen said her child received “immediate medical care and recovered quickly, but it was a wake-up call that anaphylaxis can occur anywhere and at any time, even when you may not think your child is at risk.”

The campaign strives to get local school communities involved in allergy awareness. A key component is the Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis Challenge. To take part in this essay contest, U.S. students in Grades 1 through 12 should submit an essay to suggest ways their own schools can improve allergy accommodations to support food (and sting) allergic students. The prize is impressive: a $2,000 college scholarship.

The submission rules are: 

• for Grades 1-4 – 50-150 words;
• for Grades 5-8 – 150-250 words;
• and for Grades 9-12 – 400-500 words. The final day for submissions is November 9.

“Through the Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis Challenge, students across the country will have the opportunity to educate their peers and help everyone be more aware of life-threatening allergies,” Bowen says.

The campaign site also offers helpful information about food and insect allergies and numerous resources for schools and caregivers.

Essential Related Reading: Time to End Food Allergy Tragedies