Last year’s FAAN Walk for Food Allergies attracted about 1,000 participants. Organizers expect to draw a larger crowd to the Long Branch Boardwalk on Sept. 11. LONG BRANCH — Keeping children with food allergies safe is a constant concern for their loved ones.

And that’s one reason why journalist and author Janice Lieberman says she’s honored to be the honorary chairperson of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward a Cure in Long Branch on Sept. 11. Lieberman has also recently been named an Ambassador Who Cares by FAAN.

When Lieberman’s young cousin was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy more than seven years ago, it made an immediate impact. Lieberman, known for her consumer reporting on the “Today” show and her column in Reader’s Digest, was concerned for her cousin and his family. She is now well versed on the issue of food allergies and well prepared for family gatherings involving her 8-year-old cousin or anyone with food allergies.

Lieberman, author of How to Shop for a Husband: A Consumer Guide to Get a Great Buy on a Guy, has appeared as a contributor on Oprah and written for Redbook, and is used to giving people advice on many topics. She also has advice for people managing food allergies.

“You must never leave home without your epinephrine auto-injector and emergency treatment kit,” she said. “I highly recommend joining FAAN. It’s a wonderful resource for all of those with food allergies.”

Emcee for the event will be Frank Dicopoulos, best known for his 22 years on the long-running soap opera “Guiding Light” and currently host of the cable TV show “NJ Discover.”

“Educating the public and our own children about food allergy safety is key, and gives us peace of mind when they are away from us,” Dicopoulos said.

Both Dicopoulos and his teenage daughter have food allergies. Dicopoulos has been a spokesman for the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy in Long Branch since 2008 and has recently been named an Ambassador Who Cares by FAAN.

More than 60,000NewJersey school children have food allergies, which have no known cure, according to information from FAAN. An estimated 150 people die every year from fatal reactions nationwide, and another estimated 50,000 people seek treatment in emergency rooms for food-induced anaphylaxis. This is why Rep. Frank Pallone (D- 6th District) has agreed to be a guest speaker at this event. He is sympathetic to those with food allergies and has offered his support.

Dr. Hugh Sampson, M.D., a professor of pediatrics and immunobiology at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, N.Y., is honorary medical chair for this event. Sampson is chief of the Division of Allergy & Immunology in the Department of Pediatrics, director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, and dean of Translational Biomedical Science at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. Sampson’s research interests have focused on food allergic disorders.

The walk begins at 10 a.m. at the Great Lawn, north of Pier Village, with check-in at 9 a.m. Following the walk, New Jersey rocker Ray Andersen, who has played with Bruce Springsteen, Matchbox 20 and Meat Loaf, and who is now known to thousands of kids as the children’s singer/songwriter Mr. Ray, will headline a free concert following the walk. Mr. Ray’s bookings manager’s son, the daughter of a band member, as well as two children who sing with the Mr. Ray band, have food allergies.

Other post-walk activities planned include appearances by Star Wars costumed characters, magician Josh Beckerman and the Lakewood BlueClaws mascot, Buster.

Area radio stations will be present at the event. Greater Media Newspapers is one of the media sponsors for the walk.

To register for the Long Branch Walk, visit the website http://www.foodallergywalk. org/longbranch_nj10

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is a nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, Va., with 30,000 members around the world. It is dedicated to increasing public awareness of food allergy and its consequences, to educating people about the condition, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by it. For more information, visit the FAAN website at www.foodallergy.org.