The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) will sponsor a food allergy walk on Sept. 8 starting at The Great Lawn, north of Pier Village, Long Branch. Check-in begins at 9 a.m. and the walk will begin at 10 a.m.

The walk aims to raise awareness of food allergies. According to FAAN, every three minutes, a food-allergic reaction sends an American to the emergency room, while an emergency room visit for food-related anaphylaxis occurs every six minutes.

Children living in urban centers such as New Jersey have a much higher prevalence of food allergies than those living in rural areas, according to a new study, which is the first to map children’s food allergies by geographical location in the United States. In particular, children in big cities are more than twice as likely to have peanut and shellfish allergies compared to rural communities. New Jersey is one of eight states with the highest overall prevalence of food allergies. Journalist and Emmy Award-winning news anchor Janine Strafaci, whose son is allergic to shellfish, is acting as honorary chairwoman of the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure in Long Branch.

Dr. Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, associate professor of Pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, is honorary medical chair for the walk. Nowak-Wegrzyn is a clinician and researcher at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute.

Donations may be made online at http://www.foodallergywalk.org or at the walk. Following the walk, New Jersey rocker Ray Andersen, who is known as the children’s singer-songwriter mr. RAY, will headline a free concert. The Fair Haven Academy of Music and Drama student band, the Purple Keys, will also perform.

Post-walk activities include appearances by costumed “Star Wars” characters and the Lakewood BlueClaws mascot, Buster. Children can enjoy a bounce house, face painting, tattoos, hair accessories and arts and crafts. To register, visit the Internet website at http://www.foodallergywalk.org/longbranch_ nj12.