Red Sneakers for Oakley Hosts Evening to Support Food Allergy Awareness at Club Colette in Palm Beach, FL
PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Tuesday, November 23, Red Sneakers for Oakley hosted the sold-out Fourth Annual Fundraising Benefit at Club Colette to support food allergy awareness. Almost all the attendees wore their "most spectacular red shoes or sneakers." Many thanks to the generous donors who contributed to this inspiring event, which raised over $280,000 to support imperative food allergy awareness, education, and programming.
The exclusive guest list enjoyed an amazing evening to celebrate the important cause of food allergy awareness. Each year in the U.S., 200,000 people require emergency medical care for allergic reactions to food. This means, every three minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room. And a staggering 32 million Americans have food allergies, 5.6 million of which are children.
Red Sneakers for Oakley was established by Robert and Merrill Debbs after the death of their 11-year-old son Oakley due to a fatal allergic reaction to nuts. "No child should die from the simple act of eating," proclaims Merrill Debbs.
An outpouring of community support rallied around Oakley's parents in support of their mission. The Benefit was graciously sponsored by *The Winklevoss Family*, *The Stefanski Family Foundation*, *The Wilder Regalbuto Family Trust* and *The 1994 Robert W. Johnson IV Charitable Trust. *Red Sneaker sponsors included *The Waldele Family Fund*, *Bill *and* Emma Roberts*, *Bill Benjamin *and* Joanne Benjamin Mann*, *AllerGenis*, *The Connors Foundation*, *Samuel *and* Hillary Difeo*, *The Bridget Koch Foundation*. Activist sponsors included *David *and* Kristen Lambert*, *Richard *and* Pipa Vogel*, *Thomas *and* Marina Purcell*, *Frank McDougald*. The Educator sponsors included *Susan Allen*, *Jennifer T. Bradley Trust*, *Kit Pannill* and *The Mullen Family Foundation*. Benefit underwriters included *Dr. Irma Morales*, *Robert *and* Merrill Debbs*, *Louis Taylor*, *Timothy *and* Annie Jones* and *Maureen Donnell*. Event decor was graciously donated by *Richard Grille Events*.
Additional attendees included: *Mortimer and Charlotte Curran*, *Charles Poekel *and* Lynn Giordano*, *Ambassador Robert W. Johnson *and* Suzanne Johnson*, *Sarah *and* Grace Miller*, *Lamont Harris *and* Toni Corellis*, *Stanley *and* Gay Gaines*,* Kaitlin *and *Bridget Koch*, *James *and *Whitney Garner*, *Ben *and* Elizabeth Gordon*, *Wilbur *and* Hilary Ross*, *Eric and Whitney Bylin,* *George *and* Calvert Moore*, *Jonathan *and* Somers Farkas*, *Elizabeth Meigher*, *Jason *and* Wilder Regalbuto*, *Karen Klopp*, *Hilary Dick*, *David Aronberg*,* Chuck *and* Amanda Schumacher*, *Peter *and* Soraya Geisler*, *Todd *and* Missy Savage*, *Jay *and* Natasha Steinle*, *Elizabeth Meigher*, *Christine *and* Chris Orthewein*, *Thomas D'Agostino *and* Daniele Rollins*, *Ashley Ramos* and *Albert *and* Christina Pisa*.
Thirteen-year-old allergy awareness activist *Louis Martins* traveled from Orlando with his violist Eric Diaz to play a piano concert for which he received a standing ovation. Former two-time Super Bowl champion *Eli Manning* kicked off the fundraising with a heartfelt video message encouraging guests to lace up their red sneakers and give from the heart.
A live auction followed by a paddle raise, successfully run by Auctioneer Jay Zeager, drew participation throughout the entire room, with a friendly bidding competition for a 2021 Vespa graciously underwritten by *Dana Koch*. Other auction items included a two-night stay at The Colony Hotel (donated by *Andrew *and* Sarah Wetenhall*). The winning bidders were *Sophocles *and* Silvia Zoullas*, *Jeff *and* Mei Sze Greene*, *Vanessa Rooks*, *Patrick *and* Lily Dillon*, *Bridget Koch*, *Betsey Maloney*, VIP Bags included items from *Caroline's Cakes*, *Auvi-Q®*, *WellToo Wipes*, and *Amanda's Own Confections*.
About Red Sneakers for Oakley: Red Sneakers for Oakley is a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of food allergies through the creation of educational programs, community outreach and advocacy. For more information, please visit *Redsneakers.org* or email info@redsneakers.org
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Hashtags: #redsneakersforoakley #foodallergyawareness #livlikeoaks
Contacts: Ashley Wilson Capps at Red Sneakers for Oakley ashley@redsneakers.org (561) 323-4037
Photo Credits: ©Capehart Photography
**Related Images**
**Image 1: Robert, Olivia & Merrill Debbs**Red Sneakers for Oakley 4th Annual Food Allergy Awareness Benefit
**Image 2: Ambassador Robert W. Johnson and Suzanne Johnson**Red Sneakers for Oakley 4th Annual Food Allergy Awareness Benefit
**Image 3: Charles Poekel and Lynn Giordano**Red Sneakers for Oakley 4th Annual Food Allergy Awareness Benefit
**Image 4: Kaitlin and Bridget Koch**Red Sneakers for Oakley 4th Annual Food Allergy Awareness BenefitThis content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.
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· Robert, Olivia & Merrill Debbs