By Ron VandenBoom
Osteoporosis, breast cancer, and eye care will be just a few of the topics featured in the up-coming Northern Montana Health Care/Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and Havre Holiday Village Shopping Center Community Health and Safety Fair scheduled for Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Holiday Village.
"The purpose of the health fair is to create awareness of the wide variety of health and safety resources available around Havre," said Kathie Newell, Northern Montana Hospital public relations manager and one of the organizers of the event.
The theme for this year's event is "Improve Your Odds."
It was selected by Newell, Tiffany Korb, Holiday Village manager and Mary Berg, of BNSF.
Nearly 50 business and organizations will participate in the fair with many taking registrations for door prizes and drawings at their booths.
The first 50 visitors stopping by the BNSF booth, for example, will receive a free "Healthwise Handbook" that contains tips on self-care health problems, prevention, and when to call a doctor.
Other special features include a free five-minute chair massage provided by Therapeutic Touch Massage and Tender Touch Massage of Havre, wellness demonstrations, and a WorkFit demonstration that offers suggestions on how to work more safely.
Deanna Widner, of BNSF, will present the WorkFit demonstration at 11 a.m. and again at 2:30 p.m. in the fountain area of the mall.
Andrea Azure and Jennifer Rutherford, NMHC step aerobics instructors, will have students demonstrating step aerobics at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and Northwest Kenpo Karate Club will demonstrate the finer techniques of karate at 1 p.m. Exercise specialist, Shawn Toenyes, of NMHC, will join the fun at 2 p.m. with demonstrations and healthful options provided through his Adult Fitness Class.
A variety of free screenings will be offered by NMHC in the old Woolworth/Gibson store including: blood pressure checks, cholesterol and glucose checks, body fat analysis, and breast cancer risk assessment checks. Foot inspections will also be offered.
A fun little trivia test will also be available as visitors attempt to name all the different items in their home that contain latex.
NMHC will also be giving away more than four dozen bicycle helmets, a glucometer and a number of other health related gifts.
"Our staff is very excited about being at the Health Fair to help people get a grip on their special health needs and improve their odds," Newell said.
Newell said that with the continued support of NMHC, Havre Holiday Village Mall and BNSF, they would like to continue offering the Health Fair at least every other year.
"New developments in medicine, fitness and safety are being made every day," she said. "Offering our communities a regular opportunity to find out about those changes really gives people an opportunity to keep up-to-date on their health and safety."
