Red Sneakers for Oakley Presents the Premiere of 'A Cast of Characters Who Support Food Allergy Awareness', and Unveils the 'Un-Gala'

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Nov 18, 2020, 17:32 ET

PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Sneakers for Oakley (RSFO) "Un-Gala" will deliver culinary delicacies incomparable to the customary rubber chicken dinner, absent an overzealous auctioneer, and offers fun in comfortable front-row seats.

A "dinner-out-the-door" event, the RSFO Un-Gala will tantalize and engage foodies and food allergy supporters alike. This unique concept features two delicious dinner choices prepared by Chef Clay Conley, Semi-Finalist of the prestigious James Beard Award, and his team at Buccan in Palm Beach, Florida. Participants will savor their entrees in the comfort of their homes. The "never-before-seen" entertainment will premiere in "A Cast of Characters who Support Food Allergy Awareness". 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, 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. "When I arrive at a restaurant, I inform the hostess or Matradee of my food allergy. My expectation is for the waitstaff to inquire about my food allergies and suggest relevant entrees. It's then my responsibility to articulate my food sensitivities in regard to their suggestions."

In addition to the film highlighting 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. To emphasize this significance, Ms. Debbs incorporates a film production technique used by Woody Allen in the film, Annie Hall, called "Breaking the 4th Wall". Debbs uses this attention-grabbing cinematographic approach with a waitress in the film. The actress turns away from the dinner guests, stares into the camera and authoritatively states, "Every three minutes a food allergy reaction sends someone to the Emergency Room. It's IMPORTANT to get this order correct!"

Susie Dwinell, RSFO's strategic marketing consultant, has spent 20 years observing the behaviors and characteristics of Palm Beach's social set. Known for her strategic and clever marketing programs that generate brand awareness and revenue for corporations and nonprofit organizations, Ms. Dwinell could not shake her concern that individuals without food allergies would skip the film. Dwinell recounts, "Merrill knows the power of film, and she harnesses her expertise to reveal the fatal realities of food allergies, inspire advocacy, and engage current and future donors. But I know the Palm Beach social set, most of whom do not suffer from food allergies and therefore would find no interest in watching this eye-opening film. I needed to create a "money can't buy" reason for non-food allergic people to watch the film."

Dwinell, keenly aware that local gossip and "being in the know" is highly desired in Palm Beach, encouraged RSFO to "Cast" the film with philanthropic leaders in the Palm Beach community that had no prior acting experience but did possess a good sense of humor, a willingness to exploit their acting abilities, and a commitment to promote food allergy education. Dwinell continues, "I wanted a Cast deserving of critical acclaim, and capable of generating the Buzz needed to attract a non-food allergic audience." Cast Members include: Sailor Kate Ashley, Robert Debbs, Merrill Debbs, Averil Conley, Missy Savage, Susie Dwinell, Laura Johnston, Mark Cook, Clay Conley, The Honorable Gail Coniglio, and Rory MacKay.

With a smirk on her face, Dwinell says with satisfaction, "Alas, poking fun at 'Palm Beach Characters' is the 'money can't buy' reason Palm Beach's Gala-addicted society will be aware, educated and hopefully sympathetic to those suffering from Food Allergies."

To register or donate, please visit www.redsneakers.org or email Sharon Kearns at [email protected].

Media Contact: Susie Dwinell at (561) 685-8908 or [email protected]

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