Wrangell residents are invited to shake off their winter malaise and step down to the annual Health Fair this Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon inside the Nolan Center.
The fair will feature booths put up by 45 different agencies, groups and organizations related to health and wellness.
Participating groups are many and varied, aimed for all ages. Alaska Island Community Services (AICS) will have its Teddy Bear Clinic for the wee ones, Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department will provide free blood pressure checks for adults, and Hanna’s Place will have information for parents, for example. Other Wrangell Medical Center, SEARHC and AICS departments will have booths as well, as will the library, Coast Guard and various emergency services.
Don’t expect to see any phlebotomists this year; the hospital’s annual blood draw was undertaken beforehand from Feb. 23 to March 25. WMC’s outreach development coordinator Kris Reed explained this was largely an experiment of convenience.
“Last year we found that about a third of all Health Fair lab draws were done at the hospital,” she said. Having it on one day can also be inconvenient for some people who may be gone during the Health Fair weekend.
There are also logistical considerations. “It was a pretty big undertaking to get all the supplies and equipment down the hill,” Reed explained. In addition, laboratory technicians have more time to collect results. About 400 participants came through to have their blood drawn and tested this year, many with multiple tests.
Though she expects WMC will continue this schedule in future years, Reed said they would be open to feedback. “We would love to hear about it.”
While blood will not be drawn at the fair itself, people who did receive testing during the weeks running up to it are encouraged to come pick up their results there. AICS will have staff on hand at the Nolan classroom to help book appointments for speaking to a provider.
Supplementary information will be available on topics that may show up in the tests, like diabetes, vitamin D, cholesterol and others.
Fairgoers can enter a door prize drawing for a pair of round-trip Alaska Airlines tickets. People just need to answer a few questions about a variety of the booths in “scavenger-hunt” fashion to enter. There will also be a drawing for a Stikine River tour with Alaska Waters and a youth drawing for a year-long pass at the public pool. Other prizes may be offered by the hosts of the various tables.
Visitors are also invited to bring their old eyeglasses and outdated prescriptions to collection stations. The glasses will find new life through the local Lions Club, while the medications will be collected at the Youth Court booth and disposed of specially.
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