Hundreds planning trip to RLC for Health and Wellness Fair

INA, Ill. (April 6, 2015) - Hundreds of children, attendees, presenters, and vendors will be making their way to Rend Lake College next week for the Health and Wellness Fair, scheduled for 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Friday, April 17.

There will be plenty of options to choose from for adults and children alike, ranging from free advice and information related to health from vendors, including health screenings, senior wellness, veteran health, smoking cessation, and more to the Healthy Body Walk for students.

Some of the specific booths include Alzheimer’s disease care, fitness and activities, cancer awareness, healthy programs, nutrition, and disability services. A full list of the vendors and services is listed below.

“There will be literally something for everyone who attends, regardless of age,” said Beth Mandrell, RLC Reference Librarian. “Being able to get medical information free of charge these days is a rarity so we encourage everyone to take advantage of an opportunity to get reliable health information as well as the prizes that will be given away at the end of the fair.”

Many vendors will also be offering giveaways at their tables and several prizes will be awarded at the end of the fair. To enter into the prize drawings, be sure to sign in at the registration tables located inside the entrances of the gym.

Already with approximately 200 commitments from local schools, students will have the opportunity to interact with a giant human body in the Healthy Body Walk. They will start at the mouth of the body and traverse through the different parts and systems of the body. Other activities for children include game stations like Operation, Healthy Helpings, and Eat This Not That, in addition to face painting.

“The Healthy Body Walk will allow children to pretend to enter the body through a large mouth.  There will be six sections representing body systems including the mouth, stomach, heart, lungs, bones and muscles, and the skin,” said Mandrell. “Inside each section, the children will learn about the body systems through interaction and character representation such as Mr. Tooth and his friend Tooth Paste. Children will also learn how to take care of their bodies through fitness, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles. The walk is geared for kindergarten through fifth grade children.  We hope that schools who have not signed up will consider doing so.”

All vendor booths will be located along the upper level of Waugh Gymnasium, the Aquatics Center lobby, and outside, weather permitting. The children’s Body Walk, Yoga and Zumba activities will be located on the gymnasium floor. Food and beverages will be for sale by the RLC Culinary Arts and Nursing clubs.

In the Private Dining Area of the Student Center, the Healthy Hippie Chef Stacy Pasoni will be the main speaker. Other presenters include Jeff Bullard and Ron Meek covering self-defense, the Carbondale Women’s Center concentrating on sexual assault prevention, the Safe Crisis Center focusing on domestic violence awareness, Jared Jessup performing Jiu Jitsui, and Tiffany Sievers covering elder law.

The Health and Wellness Fair is offered thanks to a Community Engagement Award of $4,500 from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Greater Midwest Region. The event will tie in with a health awareness week on campus, wherein a number of students on campus and RLC officials will be on hand to participate in the community education.

For more information about the Health and Wellness Fair, contact Beth Mandrell at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1276 or mandrell@rlc.edu. For schools or teachers interested in bringing students to the Healthy Body Walk, contact Kelli Stover at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1280 or stoverk@rlc.edu to schedule a visit.

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal Funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN‐276‐2011‐00005C with the University of Illinois at Chicago.