The Bristol Chamber of Commerce announced the Healthy Communities 2020 Health Fair will be held on Saturday, May 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bristol Eastern High School, 632 King St., Bristol. The health fair, which is free to the public, will feature educational programs, health related speakers, touch-a-truck, and over 60 vendors.
The health fair will feature a wide range of activities for the whole family. Highlights include an appearance from Bristol Blues mascot BB (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), touch-an-ambulance and fire truck, chair massages, health screenings, therapy dog meet and greet, group classes, pediatric eye screenings, and Covanta’s Rx4 Safety Take Back Drug Program drop off for any medications. Healthy snacks and meals will be available to purchase from The Exchange Club of Bristol. All proceeds from the Exchange Club Food sales will go to the Parent and Child Center at Bristol Hospital. The Exchange Club of Bristol is a proud sponsor of the center.
In addition, there will be several featured speakers and group classes held in the gymnasium. The schedule for these events is:
9:30 – 10 a.m. – “Sit-Fit” seated exercise class provided by Chapter 126 staff
10:15 a.m. – “The Dark Trade: Dangers of Gray/Black Market Prescriptions” presented by Aaron Graham, Executive Director Brand Safety & Security, Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
10:15 a.m. – Pine Lake Challenge Course Adventure group teamwork programs designed to create challenges for a group, including ropes and obstacles, while offering support to practice teamwork, communication, creativity and cooperation skills
11 a.m. – “Fitting Healthy Eating into Your Life” presented by Katie Shepherd, Registered Nutritionist, ShopRite. This presentation will address serious issues with obesity, identifying startling trends and increased risk factors. Interventions including calorie intake models, education on portion control, ways to shop healthy on a budget, and how to read food labels will be discussed plus an introduction to “My Plate” and online resources.
12:30 p.m. – Zumba group class led by Sheryl Harle of YMCA of Plainville
1:30 p.m. – Strength Training group class led by Justin Michaels of JM Fitness
Bristol Hospital will offer attendees an opportunity to Talk to the Professional to answer general health questions. The professionals scheduled to appear are:
9 – 10 a.m. – Dr. Nelson Bondhus (pulmonology) and Dr. Sai Varanasi (breast surgery)
10 – 11 a.m. – Rebecca Roben, APRN
11 – 12 p.m. – Dr. Rainer Bagdasarian (general surgery)
12 – 1 p.m. – Dr. Rupalini Rawal-Dhinga (ob-gyn)
1 – 2 p.m. – Dr. Souheil Adra (general surgery & weight loss)
2 – 3 p.m. – Dr. Fawad Kazi (cardiology)
Cindy Scoville, president and CEO of the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce stated in a press release, “We are excited to welcome the community to our first health fair. This will be a full day of fun, informative activities, presentations and vendor displays aimed at educating the public about ways to keep their families healthy and programs offered throughout our community to help achieve this goal.”
A full list of vendors can be found at www.CentralCTChambers.org/events.
For more information, contact the chamber at (860) 584-4718, email info@CentralCTChambers.org, or visit www.CentralCTChambers.org/events.