Local group to host free health fair

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NORTH LEWISBURG – To help ensure local youngsters get their required school immunizations and are as healthy as possible for the 2017-2018 school year, the Champaign County Healthy Living Coalition is sponsoring its first-ever North Lewisburg Community Health Event, which will be held in conjunction with opening day for the Triad Junior Baseball and Softball Association.

The event, which will be held weather permitting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, at the North Lewisburg Park, 139 East St., will offer free sports physicals, health screenings (vision, hearing, developmental and blood pressure), and provide free diabetes and other health education materials to school-aged children.

Amanda Byrd, a public health nurse with the Champaign Health District, said back-to-school immunizations will be offered, so parents are asked to bring their health insurance cards to allow for the immunizations to be processed through insurance. Children without insurance, however, won’t be excluded from receiving their immunizations.

“No one will be refused service for inability to pay,” Byrd said.

As to why the Champaign County Health Living Coalitions decided to focus its attention on the North Lewisburg area, Byrd said, the decision was based on results from the Community Health Assessment, conducted in 2015 through a youth survey in all county school districts except Graham, an adult survey sent to county households by Mercy Memorial Hospital, and secondary data (birth data, death data, hospital data and cancer morbidity trends).

“The village of North Lewisburg was identified as an area of focus based on these results,” she said.

In an attempt to get kids up and active, the Champaign Family YMCA is inviting youngsters and their families to stop by its booth during the event to take part in a fitness challenge. Upon completion, participants will be given a free one-week family pass to the YMCA, Byrd said.

For more information on the event, which will also feature free giveaways (jump ropes, Frisbees, sunscreen, etc.), contact a county public health nurse at 937-484-1671 or at [email protected].

Event open to school-aged kids

By Joshua Keeran

[email protected]

Joshua Keeran may be reached at 937-508-2304 or on Twitter @UDCKeeran.

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