World-famous women’s soccer stars kicked off International Red Sneakers Day events for food allergy awareness – with a unique soccer clinic. Olympic gold medalists Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Tisha Venturini-Hoch brought their elite skills to the sold-out event, held in honor of the late Oakley Debbs.
Lilly said the three World Cup champions wanted the 150 kids involved to enjoy the game of soccer during the clinic held on May 17. She, Hamm and Venturini-Hoch are the founders of the Team First Soccer Academy in 2010. They created the academy to share their love and knowledge of the sport through soccer clinics and camps.
“If kids leave having had a good time and feeling better about themselves, and a little bit more confident, then we feel good about it,” Lilly told Allergic Living before the event. “Any opportunity that we have to reach young people through the game of soccer has been incredible for us.”
Red Sneakers for Oakley (RSFO), Red Sneakers for Food Allergy Awareness Peoria Chapter, and the Palm Beach Soccer Academy were excited to team up with the Team First Academy for the free allergy-friendly soccer clinic.
Organizers saw it as a win to give food-allergic kids, who are often excluded, the chance to interact with legendary athletes in a high-profile event.
The clinic, held at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, also celebrated a sport Oakley loved to play, says his mom Merrill Debbs, co-founder of RSFO. Oakley tragically died of a severe food-allergic reaction in 2016 when he was 11 years old.
Debbs remembers the young athlete excitedly watching women’s soccer on TV. He would be amazed that former professional soccer players were coaching the sport he loved in his memory.
“Oakley would be super-impressed,” his mom says.
May 20, International Red Sneakers Day
Oakley’s enjoyment of sports is integral to the nonprofit his family created in his name. The Debbs family chose red sneakers as the visual emblem for RSFO since that was Oakley’s favorite athletic shoe color.
The date of International Red Sneakers Day, May 20, is also a nod to the young athlete. Oakley wore No. 20 on his jersey.
On May 20, people across the globe will lace up red shoes to participate in International Red Sneakers Day, which falls during Food Allergy Awareness Month. Anyone can take part by wearing red sneakers (or anything red) and posting photos on social media. Posts can include a personal story, food allergy fact, or information about Oakley’s story.
Don’t forget to use hashtags: #internationalredsneakersday, #redsneakersforoakley, #foodallergyawareness, #livlikeoaks. You can also tag @redsneakersforoakley on Facebook and Instagram. For X (Twitter), tag @oakley_red.
Oakley’s mom loves to see the big day’s flood of posts, which help to “keep the awareness going,” she says.
Awareness Through Soccer
This year’s soccer clinic provided a significant and memorable boost to honoring International Red Sneakers Day. Among those who joined the NCAA champions on the pitch for the clinic in Florida was Oakley’s soccer-playing sister Olivia, 19.
Hamm, Lilly and Venturini-Hoch first earned national titles when they played for the University of North Carolina during the early 1990s. “I find it absolutely amazing that these three ladies are willing to do this for food allergy awareness,” Merrill Debbs says.
It was another player’s idea that got the ball rolling to bring the soccer legends to the food allergy community. Former University of Tennessee soccer player Lindsey Spangler is co-founder of the Red Sneakers’ Peoria chapter.
A few of her former teammates and her former coach, Ange Kelly, are involved with Team First. So she reached out to former teammate Cori Boyle, the company’s executive director. They soon got to work on creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The event for kids ages 5 to 16 of all skill levels, included three hours of soccer training, and a chance to meet and get autographs and photos with the soccer stars. Organizers took careful steps to ensure the clinic was allergy-aware, with labeled allergy-friendly snacks, and a designated eating area with a handwashing station.
Inclusivity for the Soccer Win
The legendary players racked up many championships and awards throughout their careers. They were part of the 1999 Women’s World Cup championship team that helped catapult the sport’s popularity with record-breaking attendance and coverage.
Participants in the Team First soccer camps often ask Lilly, Hamm and Venturini-Hoch what it’s like to be a professional athlete, or how it feels to win a World Cup. Lilly says the players want to be relatable to the kids, so they can see their own potential. For example, they might realize that they have the same style of kicking the ball or share a similar height.
“We can give them something to connect to, and think, ‘Oh wow, if she can do it, maybe I can do this too,’” Lilly says. Lilly still holds the record for most international appearances for female or male soccer players at 354 caps.
Spangler of the Peoria, Illinois chapter was thrilled to share the experience with her 5-year-old Naomi, who laced up her cleats. Naomi has allergies to mustard, eggs, shellfish and strawberries.
Red Sneakers Making Moves
The expansion of RSFO to Peoria in 2024 has paved the way for the possibility of adding more chapters. Expanding RSFO, which is based in Florida, to other locations will help expand the nonprofit’s reach in raising allergy awareness, Debbs says.
The Peoria chapter, which Spangler founded with another fellow allergy parent Chris Horan, is doing just that. It provides education, services and activities in the community. A highlight for the year will be the 5K run/walk and teal pumpkin festival on October 11, 2025.
The chapter kicked off May food allergy awareness month by helping to make a large entertainment complex better prepared for food-allergic guests. They are donating epinephrine auto-injectors to the Peoria Civic Center, and providing food allergy training for the center’s medical staff.
Now RSFO is considering expanding farther west by opening a chapter in California with Red Sneakers ambassador Allergic Emma, Debbs says. Emma’s mom, Rose Melin, says it makes sense to create an RSFO chapter in Southern California. “I hope we can make it happen,” Melin says.
Melin points to the support the Anaheim Ducks have shown for food allergies, naming Emma the NHL team’s 21st Duck for the 2024-2025 season. Representatives from the Anaheim Ducks Foundation will be among the guests featured at Emma’s fourth annual Red Sneakers for Oakley Food Allergy Fair in Yorba Linda, California.
Debbs also traveled with Olivia to the West Coast to support Emma at the event on May 10. Attendees included Chef Keith Norman of the event sponsor South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa and Thomas Silvera of the Elijah-Alavi Foundation.
Education Saves Lives
Ambassadors like Emma help RSFO to advocate for food allergies in their own communities. For 2025, there are 26 new ambassadors ready to help promote awareness about food allergies.
Young ambassadors Lincoln and Liberty, with their mom Sherry Lin, have advocated for Senate Bill 1514 in Florida. The legislation will ensure schools for kindergarten through eighth grade are ready to administer emergency epinephrine devices to students suffering anaphylaxis.
The bill, which applies at all times students are on campus, is awaiting the signature of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after passing the state House and Senate.
“We are so thrilled that through the efforts of many, and with the backing of Red Sneakers for Oakley, Senate Bill 1514 will be moving forward in Florida,” Debbs says.
Providing food allergy education is a cornerstone of the nonprofit. It has provided educational resources to 58 schools across multiple states. When Debbs leads an assembly at a local school, she is proud to witness so many young children exhibiting the knowledge they have gained by shouting out answers about food allergies.
“Our first line of defense is education. Without this education there would be more casualties,” Debbs says.
Oakley’s Legacy
Oakley’s mom receives countless testimonials from members of the food allergy community who were better prepared to handle an allergic reaction because they remembered Oakley’s story.
They will say, “Thank you for your story. Oakley saved my son’s life, or my daughter’s life,” she says.
Helping people to understand the seriousness of food allergies through Oakley’s story is at the heart of the efforts by Merrill, her husband Robert and daughter Olivia.
Oakley, who was allergic to nuts and had asthma, suffered a severe allergic reaction during a family trip in November 2016. A piece of cake he’d eaten was later found to contain tree nut.
The Debbs treated Oakley’s reaction as they had with previous reactions, with Benadryl and then his nebulizer. They had been advised that Oakley’s nut allergy was “minor.” But Oakley fell into anaphylactic shock and ultimately lost his life.
A large part of the family’s work is to make sure people understand when, where and why to use epinephrine. The message is so important because using an epinephrine auto-injector on a child during a scary moment can be a big hurdle to get past, Debbs notes.
“One of the best things we get is people saying, because of Oakley’s story I epi’ed my child and saved their life,” she says.
Article updated May 19, 2025.
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Red Sneakers Day 2024: Expanding West for Food Allergy Impact
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