Homer’s 32nd Rotary Health Fair drew a record number of participants to the Homer High School Saturday. Residents took full advantage of blood screenings, flu shots, and information booths dedicated to healthy living and disease prevention.
1385 people attended this year’s health fair. It’s the most people to come to the event ever and Sharon Minsch with Homer-Kachemak Bay Rotary Club wasn’t too surprised.
“Some of it’s a social event but our exhibitors really go to a big effort to provide new and informative information. Whether you’re coming for the social part or for the blood draw or for the information we’ve got something for everybody,” said Minsch.
The rotary club sponsors the health fair alongside South Peninsula Hospital. The hospital provided the personnel and tools necessary for blood screenings and flu shots. Derotha Ferraro with SPH loves the health fair.
“We put things off in life. We get busy and put things off. This day is all it takes to come and really create some understanding and awareness of some of the health things that you might be facing or of opportunities or wellness things you can be doing to stay healthy,” said Ferraro.
Some of those opportunities provided by the hospital include booths on bone health, diabetes, infection prevention, and colon health. They also provided cardiac fitness tests and they signed people up to get electronic access to their health records.
“And one of my favorite booths is the great candy exchange. [It’s] the opportunity to get the public enemy number one off the street, candy! [It’s] to get kids to turn in their trick or treat loot for great prizes,” said Ferraro.
Each year all of that candy collected from kids is sent to U.S. troops.
Reduced price blood tests are probably the most noticeable difference made by the health fair. Ferraro says when all is said and done over 1000 people will have gotten tested. The tests screen for kidney and liver function, blood sugars, electrolytes, white and red blood cell counts and much more.
Anna Germundson waited with a friend until it was time to get his blood drawn for the test.
“I think it’s an awesome opportunity for everybody to see how their health is. Being from Minneapolis, I’ve never seen anything like this where it’s a bigger population not being taken care of,” said Germundson. “I’m about to help my buddy lance here [and] support him.”
Germundson said people should take advantage of the blood tests even if they don’t think they need one. She laughed and said she wasn’t going to get one though. She doesn’t like needles.
Quinton Chandler is a reporter at KTOO in Juneau.
