Gallagher Honors Appleton Food Allergy Advocate in Congressional Record

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) honored Adel (Delly) Schneider, a teenage food allergy advocate from Appleton, by highlighting her advocacy and community involvement in Northeast Wisconsin in the Congressional Record, the document that reflects the official proceedings of Congress. Rep. Gallagher presented the entry to Delly last week during her most recent visit to Congress, commemorating her years of work for food allergy awareness in Wisconsin. 

For over four years, Rep. Gallagher has regularly met with Delly, where she successfully advocated for Rep. Gallagher to co-sponsor the FASTER Act, which was signed into law in 2021. Last year, she was key in Rep. Gallagher introducing the ADINA Act which would hold medications to the same allergen labeling standards as food products.

In his entry in the Congressional Record, Rep. Gallagher wrote in part, “I always look forward to meeting with Adel and hearing about her community events in Northeast Wisconsin. I value her perspective and commend the work she is doing on food-allergy awareness. Adel has inspired many, including myself, with her advocacy for individuals with food allergies. I take comfort in knowing there are young citizens stepping up in their communities. Adel has a long list of accomplishments, and I look forward to watching her accomplish even more.”

See pictures and videos available for broadcast and distribution HERE.

See the full Congressional Entry HERE, or read the text below.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a young Wisconsinite I have had the pleasure of meeting with throughout my time in Congress, Ms. Adel Schneider.

At nine months old, Adel was diagnosed with a severe dairy allergy. This diagnosis transformed the Schneider family's daily life. Oftentimes, Adel had to be careful with cake at birthday celebrations or at holiday events, where a main focus is food. While this could have been isolating, Adel was inspired by her allergy; she began raising awareness in her hometown of Appleton.

Adel and her mother, Kara, are seen on local television, sporting events and at schools in Northeast Wisconsin, fundraising and informing others about food allergies. Adel has been successful in her fundraising efforts, raising over $50,000 for FARE, a non-profit that promotes food allergy awareness and research. In 2018, Adel was the recipient of the FARE Teen Achievement Award following her involvement in the annual Milwaukee Food Allergy Heroes Walk. In 2020, the Schneider family donated allergy-friendly food to Paul’s Pantry in Green Bay after receiving a grant from FARE. She has partnered with Appleton’s Minor League Baseball team, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, to share information with the community on food-allergies. She is a Red Sneakers for Oakley Ambassador, where she creates social media content centered on food allergy awareness. Most recently, Adel ran her annual Teal Halloween Skate, which is a community Halloween event that provides allergy-safe treats.

As Adel became more vocal in the community, her advocacy spread to Congress. I first met Adel in 2020 to discuss the FASTER Act, which requires food companies to include sesame as an allergen on their labels. After successfully passing this legislation, I have continued to meet with Adel to discuss future legislation on food-allergies. Most recently, Adel and I discussed the ADINA Act, a bill I introduced in 2023. This legislation would require pharmaceutical companies to be more transparent about their allergy-risks on drug labels. I always look forward to meeting with Adel and hearing about her community events in Northeast Wisconsin. I value her perspective and commend the work she is doing on food-allergy awareness.

Adel has inspired many, including myself, with her advocacy for individuals with food allergies. I take comfort in knowing there are young citizens stepping up in their communities. Adel has a long list of accomplishments, and I look forward to watching her accomplish even more.