Davenport health fair 2/16/16

The Davenport High School chapter of Future Business Leaders of America has announced their partnership with Lincoln Hospital and the Lincoln County Health Department to put on the 2016 Health Fair. The fair will be held February 16 in the Davenport High School gym starting at 5 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m. With the help of Lincoln Hospital and the Lincoln County Health Department, the Davenport students will host this year’s Community Health Fair entitled “Lincoln County Activate: A community health and activity event.” The fair’s focus this year is being active in fun and creative ways. Hospital and health department staff are serving as mentors to the chapter members in marketing, public relations, food services and event planning.

Last year, Davenport students focused the Health Fair on mental health. This year, students wanted to focus on physical health. The 2012 Lincoln County Community Health Assessment reported that 63 percent of adults and 34.1 percent of youth in Lincoln County do not meet the recommended amount of physical activity for their age groups. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of chronic disease, helps control weight, reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression and improves overall physical health. In that same report, cardiovascular disease was cited as the leading cause of death in Lincoln County. Eating a healthier diet and exercising lower the risk of this chronic disease. After learning this information, students realized that physical health affects everyone, including those in our rural community. The goal for this community event is to emphasize the importance of physical activity, promote group fitness and expose attendees to a variety of health related businesses.

The project will be an educational experience for all chapter members involved. By working with their mentors from the hospital and health department, they will learn valuable skills in marketing and event management and gain knowledge about the importance of physical health. Both the FBLA advisor Noelle Carstens and Lincoln Hospital advisor Carey Guhlke-Falk agree that this project will benefit not only the students involved but also community members. Carstens says, “This health fair will be completely different from anything we’ve done before. It will be a great experience for the kids and the community and will be a great expansion on what has been done in previous years with the health fair.”

Health fair co-chair Kendyl Wiley added, “I’m excited to see the impact this health fair will have on the students and the community.” Like Wiley, the students are enthused about this health fair and want to involve everyone in the community.

FBLA Community Service Project co-chairs, Alexia Guhlke, Jackson Sorensen and Kendyl Wiley are currently soliciting vendors for booths at the fair and already have activities lined up. There will be four 20-minute mini-sessions of group fitness activities, including yoga led by Val Vissia, Cardio Kick led by Kim Date, SAIL led by Linda Jahn and karate led by Will Kruger. Health fair attendees are invited to come dressed in workout attire and ready to participate in the group fitness sessions. At the event, patrons will also have the opportunity to try out pedometers that Davenport School District elementary and middle-school students use in their physical education classes, supplied as part of a Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. A step competition will be held throughout the evening, and the person with the most steps by the end of the night will win the grand prize of a fitness tracker from the Fitbit company. Additionally, a variety of healthy foods and snacks will be provided and there will be interesting booths and time for socializing for patrons to enjoy.

For more information about the 2016 Community Health Fair, or if you represent a business that would like a booth at the event, contact Davenport FBLA advisor Noelle Carstens at noecarstens@davenport.wednet.edu or 509-725-4021.