Harriette Rose Katz with her daughter, Melissa Rosenbloom.

New York City - For over 12 million Americans – many of them children – eating out for dinner is a worrisome experience fraught with fears that one will come in contact with a food that is innocuous to most - but for the food allergy sufferers can mean a visit to an emergency room or in the worst-case scenario – death.

Ten years ago seven women banded together to raise funds for the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) to support research and raise public awareness. Little did they know their luncheon would grow into one of the spring social season's most well-attended and successful events, raising millions for the FAI and bringing enormous public attention to the issue. Because of Liana Silverstein Backal, Abbey Braverman, Kathy Franklin, Julie Leff, Natalie Mashaal, Roxanne Palin and Bette Saltzman hundreds of thousands are now aware of the issue.

This year, celebrating its 10th anniversary, the FAI Luncheon co-chairs Abbey Braverman, Roxanne Palin and Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff; Raffle co-chairs Nina Rennert Davidson, Melissa Meyers and Jennifer Fisherman Ruff, along with event advisory chair Melissa Rosenbloom and her mother, event guru extraordinaire, Harriette Rose Katz, pulled together an amazing committee of concerned New Yorkers and Hamptonites for the afternoon at the luxurious Cipriani 42nd Street attended by some 550 guests.

Among the crowd who came out to support the FAI were East Hamptonite Patti Kenner, Barbara Winston, Judith Ripka, Paola Rosenshein, Lucia Hwong Gordon of Southampton and Nina Rennert Davidson.

Following a harrowing film "Children Living with Food Allergies," WABC TV anchor Lori Stokes, a Montauk summer resident, took over as emcee and spoke about her own severe food allergies and how important the audience's support was to the work of FAI. "We have, in 10 years, raised over $60 million for research and advocacy work that the FAI would not have been able to do without the support of all of you." She also paid special tribute to Denise and David Dunning long-time supporters and her colleagues at WABC Sandra Thomas, VP of Community Affairs who had put the station's resources at work for the organization.

Kathy Franklin (Founder of Luncheon) with Sister Patti Kenner.

Co-Chairs Roxanne Palin, Abbey Braverman and Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff each made remarks citing the amazing strides made by the organization. Just weeks ago, the lives of food allergic New Yorkers became safer thanks to a bill signed into law by Mayor Michael Bloomberg requiring the city's 220,000 restaurants and schools and corporate cafeterias to display posters teaching food workers how to avoid cross-contaminating foods.

And just days ago, a 911 call was a game of chance for the estimated 300,000 New Yorkers who suffer from food allergies as 10 percent of city ambulances carried the life saving drug for anaphylaxis (swelling and choking that results in death) epinephrine injection needles more commonly known as Epi Pens. On March 31, they became mandated for all city and private ambulances.

The most encouraging news of the day came from guest speaker, world-renowned allergy expert Dr. Hugh Sampson of the Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Sampson spoke excitedly about a breakthrough made by him and one of the Institute's leading researchers Dr. Xiu-Min Li. A promising new therapy that may prevent life-threatening reactions to peanuts, tree nuts, and fish and shellfish based on herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. Best news of all (including this writer who has been hospitalized six times for allergic reactions) as it is a botanical it will not be subject to the endless FDA approval process and may be on the market next year.

This news was greeted with thunderous applause by the guests, most of whom either suffered with severe food allergies or whom had children similarly affected.

Allison DiStaulo, Abbey Braverman (Co-Chair), and Mindy Goldstein.

Then luncheon was served along with menus that detailed every single ingredient that went into each and every dish from the breadsticks to the Gazpacho appetizer to the Chilean Sea Bass and Vegetable Napoleon right down to all the desserts and petits fours. Even the wines were hypoallergenic! Kudos to Executive Chef Robert Deiaco and Pastry Chef Carolina Perego for creating an entire meal that folks could eat with the knowledge they would not wind up hospitalized.

As a parting gift, there were brightly colored – orange, lime, turquoise and yellow – beach bags from Scoop containing all kinds of healthy goodies including spa, beauty and gym certificates, nut-free chocolates and other candies and the most helpful gift of all. an Epi Pen. As well, some 600 boxes of non-allergic donuts, crullers and chocolate chip cookies courtesy of The Donut Pub, for all to take for their ride home!