Baseball Team Embraces a Peanut-Free Game For ‘Peanut Allergy Awareness Night’
In solidarity with Peanut Allergy Awareness Night, no peanuts or peanut candy will be allowed at the Indianapolis Indians' baseball game.
This promotion means that plenty of ballpark staples like peanuts and Cracker Jacks will be banned from the stadium on Wednesday, when the Indians take on the Louisville Bats. The team partnered with a group called Indy PoCHA, or Parents of Children Having Allergies, to organize the event.
The peanut-free game is a first for the Indians, a Class AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, as part of Peanut Allergy Awareness Night.
The Charlotte Knights debuted their peanut free game night last year, which they say was such a success they wanted to open it up for families again this year.
"Just to give those kids, those fans that love baseball just as much as any other kid, a chance to come out and enjoy the game, carefree," said Knights General Manager, Scotty Brown.
There are about 3 million Americans who are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, and according to Food Allergy & Research Education the number of children in the U.S. with a peanut allergy more than tripled between 1997 and 2008.
"We've received calls from fans over the years about not being able to come to the ballpark due to peanut allergy," Jon Glesing, Indians senior marketing and communications manager, told the paper. "Awareness for this is far from new in baseball, (but) we're finally at a point we can coordinate an awareness night."
