Family Wellness Fair May 13 at Veterans Memorial Hospital

The 18th annual Family Wellness Fair will be held Wednesday, May 13 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Health testing, exhibits and activities will all be providing a complete evening of entertainment and education for families of all ages. Everyone in the area communities is welcome to attend this free event, sponsored by Veterans Memorial Hospital, and held in conjunction with the end of the Live Healthy Iowa Community Wellness Challenge.

ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment for the evening will include Tae Kwon Do demonstrations and Zumba demonstrations held in the Healthy Lifestyles Center.  Special appearances will be made by Klyde Thinger the Clown, plus balloon artist and professional medical representative Paul Kammarmeyer, will again be on site making his creative balloon creations for the children attending the Fair. In addition, a Waukon Area Fire Protection District fire truck and Veterans Memorial Hospital ambulance will be parked in the front entrance to the hospital for children to view.
New this year, face painting will be offered at the event. Child Car seat checks will also be offered by certified professionals who will be located at the shipping/receiving entrance to the hospital.

EXHIBITORS
Over 40 exhibitors will have tables on display providing demonstrations, games and crafts for the entire family. To date, the exhibitors include Waukon Lions Club “Iowa Kid Sight” free vision screenings for children, Allamakee County Extension,  Allamakee County FSA, Allamakee Substance Abuse Prevention, Mayo Health System Waukon Clinic, Gundersen Eye Clinic, Gundersen Waukon Medical Clinic, Iowa Vocational Rehab, Helping Services for Northeast Iowa, Life Serve Blood Center, MOSAIC, NEICAC Early Childhood Programs, NICC, Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health, Northgate Care Center, Northeast Iowa  Area Agency on Aging, SASC Gambling Treatment Services, The Starlight Center, TASC, Waukon Dental, Thornton Manor and Thornton Heights, Waukon and Postville Good Samaritan Society, Village Creek Bible Camp, Visiting Nurse Association, Clayton County VNA-WIC, Waukon Park and Recreation/Waukon Aquatic Center and the Waukon Wellness Center.

HEALTH FAIR
Veterans Memorial Hospital staff will be on hand to perform a number of free health tests. Blood pressure testing, grip strength testing, hand/eye coordination testing,  flexibility screenings, memory screenings, O2 saturation and carbon monoxide testing, smoking cessation, diabetes and blood sugar testing, and chair massages and reflexology will all be available and performed free of charge. Cholesterol tests with immediate results will be available for a cost.
Again this year, Veterans Memorial Hospital staff will be demonstrating and instructing the new “Hands Only” CPR that can effectively be used by anyone, on anyone who has witnessed a cardiac arrest. Wallet cards will be handed out to everyone for quick reference on this new, simple, two-step CPR procedure. Information on cancer and cancer prevention will also be available at the fair, as well as information on medical advance directives.
The Veterans Memorial Hospital Nutrition Services Department will also be providing healthy salads and other snacks throughout the evening.

DOOR PRIZES
Over 100 door prizes will be given away throughout the evening. All visitors to the Spring Into Family Wellness Fair are eligible to win just by signing in at the registration table as they enter the hospital. Names will be drawn throughout the evening with all winners having their choice of door prizes.

LIVE HEALTHY IOWA
Veterans Memorial Hospital will also be awarding prizes at the Wellness Fair to all those in Allamakee and northern Clayton counties that participated in the Live Healthy Iowa 10 week wellness challenge in 2015. In order to claim a participation prize, Live Healthy Iowa participants are asked to present their access card at the receptionist desk during the wellness fair.
The access cards can be found by going to the Live Healthy Iowa website at www.livehealthyiowa.org and under the participant’s “my dashboard” tab, clicking on “create access card.” The card can then be printed and brought in to redeem the prize.
For additional information, see the advertisement on Page 2A in this week's edition of The Standard or contact Erin Berns, Public Relations Director at Veterans Memorial Hospital, at 563-568-3411.