Gastroparesis Pie Face Challenge for a Cure 

at the New Cumberland Apple Festival

by guest blogger Carissa Haston

Have you ever wanted to smash a pie in someone’s face, have someone smash one in yours, or smash your own face in one? Visit the G-PACT booth at the New Cumberland Apple Festival this Saturday, September 30th, and you will have the chance to do it!

G-PACT is a local non-profit making an international impact fighting conditions which paralyze the digestive tract, including Gastroparesis, chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, colonic inertia, and more. G-PACT was founded by New Cumberland resident, Carissa Haston, in August of 2001 in an effort to find a cure for these debilitating conditions from which she has suffered since 1994, eventually leading to the need for a 5-organ transplant—small bowel, liver, pancreas, stomach, and duodenum in 2006.

The Gastroparesis (GP) Pie Face Challenge was started by Lynn, MA teenager, Andrew Belliveau, who has struggled with GP since he was 11. The challenge was accepted and video recorded for social media sites and the news by Boston Red Sox pitcher, David Price. He challenged other teammates who also took it on. It has been featured on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, the Boston Globe, and a number of other local Boston news sources. Other celebrities, patients, teams, and businesses have joined in all over the US and even a variety of countries.

Andrew started the event to help G-PACT raise awareness and funds to find a cure for these conditions which result in chronic nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, malnutrition, dehydration, early satiety, starvation, and can lead to death—conditions which leave patients feeling as if they are struggling with a stomach flu every single day without a break. Many patients rely on feeding tubes or IV nutrition as the only source of nutrition. Andrew decided if patients can't eat pie, they might as well smash it!

The GP Pie Face challenge, sponsored by Giant Foods in New Cumberland, will be located at booth 91. Pick someone you think deserves to have a whip cream face and bring them to the G-PACT booth! Or, put a pie in your own face and enjoy the whip cream. We don't want it back! If you can't choose anyone to smash and don't like whip cream on yourself, Carissa will humbly take the pie in her own face.

Smash one or two people, or more! Or grab a group of friends, split up the cost at a discounted rate, and pie in a group for extra fun! Who will win as the messiest in the end?* With your consent, G-PACT will record the pie smash for use on social media in an effort to increase awareness on an international level and raise funds for a cure. They will send you a copy of the video link if you provide your e-mail or Facebook link so you can share it too.** However, your consent to be videotaped is not required in order to participate. Just come to join in the fun! Note: please do not “borrow” a pie from the Apple Pie Contest! G-PACT will have everything you need!

If pie isn't your thing, drop by with your kids to visit and grab a free helium balloon, make some free spin art, play the free rubber ducky game for a prize, pick up a free color changing cup, purchase some home baked goods or perhaps a handmade Afghan or kid's blanket. All funds raised go towards a good cause!

Learn more about G-PACT and the conditions they are fighting at www.g-pact.org, www.gastroparesisawarenessmonth.org and/or www.facebook.com/GPACT. Find out more about the GP Pie Face Challenge www.facebook.com/gastroparesispiefacechallenge and www.gastroparesisawarenessmonth.org/Pie-face-challenge.

*G-PACT will provide plenty of supplies to wash up and feel ultra clean afterwards and a poncho to help keep your clothes clean!

**G-PACT will not contact you by e-mail or Facebook except for the one-time purpose of sending you the video. You will not be added to a mailing list and your information will not be shared with anyone. You do not need to provide this information in order to participate.

***G-PACT is run on a fully volunteer basis, most of whom are also patients. No one gets paid or receives any benefits. Therefore, 100% of all donations go directly back to support programs, research, awareness, education, advocacy events, and low operating expenses.