Fair prepares students for
a lifetime of healthy choices    

[MARCH 31, 2004]  The 18th annual Children's Health Fair will be at the Lincoln Park District's Indoor Sports Center, 1400 Primm Road, on Friday, April 2, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Fifth-grade students from Lincoln and Logan County schools will be brought to the Indoor Sports Center for two-hour-long segments during the day. Home-schooled fifth-grade students are also invited to attend. The goal of the Children's Health Fair is to encourage children to learn about health in a way that allows them to play an active part in the learning process. More than 30 agencies will be represented at the fair.

The children will receive information about such topics as cancer prevention, exercise, nutrition, hospitals, dental health, disabilities, drugs and alcohol, emergency services, safety, personal hygiene, and posture.

Special features for 2004

New to this year's fair will be a visit from the Springfield-based Air Evac helicopter. Air Evac Lifeteam was founded in Missouri by a group of private citizens who wanted to give the people in their community better access to emergency medical care. Air Evac has provided air ambulance care to more than 50,000 patients in rural communities since 1985 and currently has bases in nine states.

The students will once again be going through a Heart Adventure Challenge Course. Research studies have supported the notion that children learn best through play experiences. The Elementary Heart Adventure Challenge Course does just that. What better way to learn about the most important muscle in the body than to experience going through it! Students are physically involved while navigating the blood's pathway through the body.

The fifth-graders will also view a presentation by students from Hartsburg-Emden High School about the dangers of smoking. The skit will enable the students to get information about tobacco prevention via the performing arts.

The Lincoln Police Department will be making a return visit with the D.A.R.E. blimp. The radio-controlled 8-foot blimp will be flying high promoting the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

As in the past, the children were encouraged before the fair to make posters relating to some aspect of health. Prizes will be awarded, and the posters will be displayed at the fair. The top four winning posters will be on display at Burger King, McDonald's, Taco Bell and Wendy's restaurants before the health fairs.

Questions about the health fair in general or about involving home-schooled children should be directed to Marcia Dowling at the Logan County Health Department, 735-2317, or Marcia Greenslate at the Lincoln Park District, 732-8770, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

[News release]