Red Sneakers for Oakley Presents 'Dining Out' a Public Service Announcement 'PSA' Profiling the Great Need for Restaurant Responsibility

PALM BEACH, Fla., November 18, 2020 (Newswire.com) - ​​​​​​​​Red Sneakers for Oakley (RSFO) "Un-Gala" delivered an exquisite meal to their great supporters, absent any overzealous auctioneers, and speeches,  to their homes in comfortable front-row seats. 

A "dinner-out-the-door" event, the RSFO Un-Gala engaged food allergy supporters to better understand the grave dangers for food allergy suffers when "Dining Out". The virtual Un Gala, ticket provided a choice of two delicious dinner options cooked by Chef Clay Conley, Semi-Finalist of the prestigious James Beard Award, and his team at Buccan in Palm Beach, Florida that was available for pick up or delivery from 6-8 pm. Once at home the supporter could view the PSA: "Dining Out" a premiere of the cast of Characters who support food allergy awareness in Palm Beach FL, on an included thumb drive. This short film, shot on-site at Buccan, is co-written by students from The Orange Umbrella, University of Miami's film school, and alumna, Merrill Debbs. Produced by Debbs, this film is directed by Academy Award-winning director Kenneth Greenbaum and his team from the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. 

The film's primary purpose is to showcase the multiple concerns and life-dependent decisions a person with food allergies must consider when dining at a restaurant. Be it restaurant avoidance or social anxiety due to food offerings, or the paralyzing fear of suffering a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction caused by the cross-contamination of food or airborne allergens, this film highlights the tremendous value of allergy-sensitive restaurants, such as Buccan. 

Merrill Debbs, the co-founder of Red Sneakers for Oakley, praises Buccan, "Restaurants, like Buccan, which take food allergies seriously and implement food handling protocols as an element of their customer experience are at the forefront of a sea-change in catering to ALL customers."

Mrs. Debbs' sentiments are echoed by her husband and Red Sneakers co-founder, Robert Debbs, who emphasizes the importance of restaurants' process and communication protocols. "It is so important when a person arrives at a restaurant, to inform the hostess or Maitre 'D, of a food allergy. The expectation is for a restaurant's waitstaff to understand that ordering food for people with food allergies can be a life or death situation "

The PSA highlights the value of communication, it stresses how critical it is for a restaurant to adopt mandatory food preparation processes that include explaining all ingredients, entering the specifics of an order into the POS system, to serving the meal to the correct guest. Unfortunately, most people with food allergies can not "Dine Out" as every three minutes a food allergy reaction sends someone to the Emergency Room. It is not worth the risk to take a chance on a cross-contaminated dish or an improperly labeled menu item. "

Susie Dwinell, RSFO's strategic marketing consultant, has spent 20 years observing the behaviors and characteristics of Palm Beach's social set. She knows the power of film and knew that a PSA was needed to reveal the fatal realities of food allergies, to inspire advocacy, and engage the general population and educate them on this dilemma for food allergy sufferers. Over 32 million Americans suffer from food allergies, including over 5.6 million children.  This affliction can not be ignored! 

RSFO set out to highlight the responsibility restaurants have when preparing food for people with food allergies.  This is a life or death experience for many and that is why Red Sneakers wanted to show how one restaurant takes great precaution to label and identify the food allergens in each dish and prevent cross-contamination in its preparation. In the absence of federal legislation, it is up to each establishment to take ownership and help educate the general population.  We hope that when you watch this PSA it will resonate with you and assist us in better educating and advocating for food allergy awareness across the globe!  

Cast Members included: Sailor Kate Ashley-Hostess, Robert Debbs, Merrill Debbs-Diner, Averil Conley-Diner, Missy Savage-Waitress, Susie Dwinell-Waitress, Laura Johnston-Waitress, Mark Cook-Sous Chef, Clay Conley-Chef, The Honorable Gail Coniglio-Mayor of Palm Beach, and Rory MacKay-Maitre D and narrator. 

Media Contact: Susie Dwinell at (561) 685-8908 or susie@redsneakers.org

Source: Red Sneakers for Oakley