Community Health Fair offers wide scope of information    

Features free and low-cost screenings

[APRIL 2, 2004]  This year's edition of the Community Health Fair, "Passport to Health," will have a different look while focusing on what's hot in safety, health and fitness.

The 19th annual fair will be Saturday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lincoln Park District's Indoor Sports Center. Admission is free, and everyone is invited to attend.

More than 70 organizations will have displays or offer health screenings. Guests at the fair will learn new and innovative approaches to wellness. Many new safety exhibits will be a part of this year's fair. Included in an outdoor display will be emergency vehicles from the Air Evac Lifeteam and the Logan County Paramedic Association. The Safe Van from the Illinois Department of Public Health will also be a part of the outside exhibit.

Health screenings are always popular at the fair. More than a dozen screenings will be offered this year. Screenings will be available for blood pressure, blood sugar, body fat analysis, bone density, child developmental, cholesterol, Dermascan, diabetic retinopathy (eye), hearing, height, hemoglobin, pulmonary function, vision and weight. All screenings except those for hemoglobin, at $1, and cholesterol, for $5, will be free of charge. [For more information on the screenings, click here.]

The Central Illinois Community Blood Center will conduct a blood bank from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in conjunction with the fair. Your gift of blood can help save someone's life, so please make plans to give at the CICBC blood bank. First-time donors are welcome. No experience needed!

Coming attractions

Returning to the fair will be the disability obstacle course. The Logan County Chapter of the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois will be manning the course. Visitors to the fair will be able to experience the obstacles of daily living.

Also making a return visit is the child identification program. The Lincoln Police Department is bringing this popular program to the fair. Parents will have the opportunity to have their children fingerprinted at no charge. Pictures will also be taken. Both forms of identification have been very beneficial to the police in locating missing children. Parents are urged to take advantage of this program offered from 9 a.m. to noon, while supplies last.

Smokey Bear, of the Forestry Department of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will be on hand throughout the day promoting safety.

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Saturday's entertainment

All ages will be treated to plenty of scheduled entertainment during the day as well. At 9 a.m. Bill Auvenshine and his students from the Auvenshine School of Tae Kwon Do will be on hand to inspire you with an enthusiastic demonstration on this self-defense discipline.

At 10 a.m. Dan Dugan will demonstrate Yoshukai karate with his spirited group of students. Dan has been teaching this ancient art throughout central Illinois for over 25 years

At 11 a.m. Ronald McDonald is sure to captivate both children and adults with his magical performance. Representing McDonald's restaurants, Ronald is a talented performer who has touched the hearts of kids for many years with fun and laughter.

At noon Vickie Loafman from Logan County Animal Control will stop by with a friend or two. It is well-documented that pets have a positive effect on our mental and physical health. Vickie will be explaining the many opportunities available to adopt a pet.

Concluding the day's entertainment, the Lincoln School of Tae Kwon Do will take center stage at 1 p.m. Led by Scott Brown, this high-energy performance is always a popular segment and sure to entertain all ages.

In addition to the above entertainment, area school children will be on hand throughout the day doing fitness presentations. These fun demonstrations will include Hartsburg-Emden at 9:30 a.m., Chester-East Lincoln at 10 a.m. and District 27 at 10:30 a.m.

Back by popular demand, bingo will also be available to guests of the fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Maple Ridge Care Centre is once again sponsoring this activity for all.

Closing credits

Nutritious foods prepared by Lincolnland Catering will be available for purchase at the fair throughout the day.

The Community Health Fair is co-sponsored by the Lincoln Park District and the Logan County Health Department.

Participants and their topics are listed below.

Questions about the event should be directed to Marcia Greenslate at the Lincoln Park District, [phone], or Marcia Dowling at the Logan County Health Department, [phone].

[News release]

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Health screenings

People interested in the screenings should plan to arrive early enough to allow time for all of the screening to be done before the fair ends; those who arrive after 1 p.m. may not be able to complete all the screenings. Fasting is not necessary before the tests.

Screening is an accurate and safe procedure when done by trained health care professionals.

Screenings offered at no charge include:

• Blood pressure, by Logan County Parish Nurses
• Body fat analysis, by Lincoln Park District
• Bone density, by Logan County Health Department
• Blood sugar, diabetes, by Graue Pharmacy
• Child developmental, age 0-3, by United Cerebral Palsy
• Dermascan, by Lincoln Health Care Specialists
• Diabetic retinopathy, eye, by Lions Foundation, 9 a.m. to noon
• Hearing, by Lions Foundation, 9 a.m. to noon
• Height, by Logan County Health Department
• Vision, by Logan County Health Department

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There will be a small fee for two screenings. This will help defray the expenses involved with offering the tests:

• Hemoglobin, by Family Medical Center, $1
  Done primarily to evaluate anemia, this screening is done by finger-stick blood sample. Results are completed in less than one minute.

• Cholesterol, by Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital lab, $5

Questions about the screening may be directed to Marcia Dowling at the Logan County Health Department, [phone].

Community Health Fair participants

(Topics listed; * indicates screenings offered)

• ALMH: general information

• ALMH, lab: *cholesterol screening

• ALMH, nutrition: diabetes awareness and prevention

• ALMH, respiratory therapy: asthma

• Air Evac Lifeteam: Air Evac helicopter on display

• American Cancer Society: programs and activities

• American Red Cross: first-aid and services

• Arthritis Foundation: arthritis

• Central Illinois Community Blood Center: blood drive, services, bloodmobile

• CIEDC: services

• Century Dental Center: sedation dentistry

• Christian Child Care: services

• The Christian Village: general information

• Community Child Care Connection: child care information

• Creative Memories: scrapbook displays

• Crisis Pregnancy Center: services

• Curves for Women: ladies' fitness

• ESDA-911: emergency services

• Epilepsy Resource Center: your brain

• Family Medical Center: *hemoglobin screening, services

• 1st Choice Chiropractic: chiropractics

• Aaron Frietag Agency : insurance products

• Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network: organ tissue donation

• Graue Pharmacy: *diabetes screening

• Healthy Communities Partnership: information

• Healthy Families Task Force: projects

• Heartland Community College: adult literacy

• Hospice Care of Illinois: hospice care

• Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program: breast health information

• Illinois Department of Natural Resources: groundwater protection

• Illinois Safekids Coalition: Safe Van

• Lincoln Area YMCA: programs

• Lincoln Health Care Specialists:*Dermascan screening

• LCHS National Honor Society: exercise

• Lincoln Lions Club: *hearing screening, *diabetic retinopathy screening

• Lincoln Parents' Center: Parenting Resources

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• Lincoln Park District: *body fat analysis, total fitness center information

• Lincoln Police Department: child fingerprinting

• Lincoln Public Library District: library materials available

• Lincoln Rotary Club: polio

• Logan County Chapter, Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois: disability obstacle course

• Logan County Farm Bureau Women's Committee: soy product promotion

• Logan County Health Department: asthma, *bone density screening, environmental health, *height screening, home health, public health, REALITY tobacco prevention, *vision screening, WIC program

• Logan County MADD: underage drinking, drunk driving

• Logan County Paramedics: ambulance on display

• Logan County Parish Nurses: *blood pressure screening

• Logan-Mason Mental Health: substance abuse

• Maple Ridge Care Centre: services, bingo

• Memorial Homecare Network: home care equipment

• Memorial Medical Center: Jointworks program

• MS Walk: multiple sclerosis

• Percival, Dixie : Nikken magnets

• Percival, Jim: reflexology

• Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois: services

• Reliv International: nutritional products

• Springfield Center for Independent Living: disability awareness

• Senior Citizens of Logan County: programs, services, events

• Senior Issues Task Force: information

• Sojourn Shelter: domestic violence prevention

• Think First: head and spinal injury prevention

• Thrivent Insurance: insurance

• TOPS IL1970: information

• United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln: *child developmental screening

• United Way of Logan County: informational materials