Health Fair

St. John's Parish Day School, 9130 Frederick Road in Ellicott City, held a preschool health fair Wednesday at the school. The children participated in hands-on demonstrations and learned from guests about healthy foods, dental hygiene, first aid and bicycle and fire safety. The preschool is celebrating its 40th year.

New Life Christian Center, 9800 Mallard Drive, in South Laurel, will hold a free Community Health Fair on Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair will offer free screenings for hypertension, glucose and cholesterol; nutrition advice on subjects such as diabetes and heart health; and Zumba, yoga and weight training demonstrations. Refreshments will be served. The Community Health Fair is sponsored by Foreign Affairs Recreation Association, Suburban Hospital John Hopkins Medicine and Adventist Healthcare.

Students from the Southeast Horizon Council attended the Howard County NAACP Youth Council Community Health Fair Nov. 19, at the Ridgeley Run Community Center, in Jessup. The event targeted the needs of children and teens by providing valuable information on nutrition and exercise. The Horizon Foundation's current initiatives include implementing strategies to improve healthful eating, physical activity and other positive lifestyle changes. Attending the Health Fair to learn more about what is being done locally to improve health and wellness of teens were, from left, Candace Johnson, of Reservoir High School; Betsy Maltez, of Hammond High School; and Marcos Miranda, of Reservoir High School.

Students from the Southeast Horizon Council attended the Howard County NAACP Youth Council Community Health Fair Nov. 19, at the Ridgeley Run Community Center, in Jessup. The event targeted the needs of children and teens by providing valuable information on nutrition and exercise. The Horizon Foundation's current initiatives include implementing strategies to improve healthful eating, physical activity and other positive lifestyle changes. Attending the Health Fair to learn more about what is being done locally to improve health and wellness of teens were, from left, Candace Johnson, of Reservoir High School; Betsy Maltez, of Hammond High School; and Marcos Miranda, of Reservoir High School.

Howard County General Hospital will present its fifth Latino Health Fair from noon to 4 p.m. March 14 at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road. The event is co-sponsored by Priority Partners, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the Howard County Health Department and Alianza de la Comunidad. Blood pressure, colorectal cancer and glucose and cholesterol screenings will be available. Cardiac risk information will be distributed. Dental screenings for children, HIV testing and clinical breast exams will be offered.

The Columbia Association, with Howard County General Hospital, the Howard County Health Department and the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, will sponsor a health fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the lakefront area of Town Center. The fair will include free health screenings, information on health issues, demonstrations of exercise activities and equipment, activities for children, entertainment and food. Around Town Yard sale: Town Center Community Association will sponsor its Town Center Yard Sale from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Vantage Point Park on Vantage Point Road.

CATHY SMITH high-stepped, swung her arms wide and marched to the music. "March it! Swing it! BIG march! All right!" she called out to the 40 or so children in Worthington Elementary School's gymnasium. Smith, who coordinates community projects for the Howard County YMCA, was leading a children's aerobics class at the school's first Health Fair on Thursday evening. The children followed her movements -- more or less. They hopped and jumped until the music stopped. Some joined hands and spun in pairs.

Harbor Hospital Center is offering a fun way for kids to learn about health care at the third annual Children's Health Fair Saturday.The hospital will kick things off at Glen Burnie Mall at 11 a.m. and the action won't let up until 3 p.m.Children are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animal to the "Teddy Bear Clinic," where they will see how stethoscopes, EKGs and blood pressure cuffs work. Free health screenings for kids will be conducted.Educational exhibits will be scattered through the mall, where parents and youngsters can learn about things such as nutrition.

Herbert Braun took one shoe off, climbed onto a table and submitted himself to a medical exam right in the middle of a shopping mall.The Millersville resident passed the "body fat test" and moved on to another stop on the Harundale Mall health tour, where shoppers could mix spending money and getting well in one Saturday afternoon."

Living in a cramped North Laurel motel room with her husband and two children is bad, but living without health care is even worse, says Betty Williams, a homeless person."

County Council Chairman Calvin Ball and the Health Department are co-hosting the county's third annual men's health fair June 4. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Howard High School in Ellicott City. "The goal is to increase the awareness of ongoing health topics related to men and provide prevention and detection opportunities as well as resources for living a healthy lifestyle to attendees," according to a news release. The health fair will include free screenings for blood pressure, body mass index, prostate cancer, kidney evaluations, bone density, glaucoma, vision, skin irregularities and more..

Angela Thomas walked from her Gorsuch Avenue home to a health fair at the neighborhood YMCA, determined to find information on available services, take advantage of the free screenings and talk with professional providers. "You have got to get your health right," she said. "Whatever they have got for me here, I am going to take advantage of it. " Before she left the event Saturday at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg YMCA on East 33rd Street, Thomas, 52, had filled a free tote bag with pamphlets and healthy snacks.

World Glaucoma Day Discuss glaucoma with doctors, patients and advocates and get a free screening. 9 a.m.-noon Saturday at Good Samaritan Hospital Main Lobby, 5601 Loch Raven Blvd. Free. 410-420-8132 Ship Shape Kid's Health Fair Junior League of Annapolis, Inc. and local businesses will host a morning of activities, including health screenings, exercises, food demonstrations/tastings, nutritional tips and creative movement. Children age 5 and up are welcome. 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Chesapeake Academy, 1185 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd.

One in four women in the United States dies of heart disease each year - more than all types of cancer combined, including breast cancer. However, studies show that only a third of American women consider themselves at risk for heart disease. To increase awareness about the risks of heart disease in women, the Baltimore chapter of the Sister to Sister Foundation is holding its fifth annual Women's Heart Health Fair tomorrow at the Baltimore Convention Center. Founded in 2000, Sister to Sister is a national nonprofit organization committed to educating women about healthy lifestyle changes that can reduce their risk of heart disease.

Howard County General Hospital will present its fifth Latino Health Fair from noon to 4 p.m. March 14 at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road. The event is co-sponsored by Priority Partners, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the Howard County Health Department and Alianza de la Comunidad. Blood pressure, colorectal cancer and glucose and cholesterol screenings will be available. Cardiac risk information will be distributed. Dental screenings for children, HIV testing and clinical breast exams will be offered.

At the start of the school year, Peg Taibi was asked by Lawrence Rudolph, the new principal of Edgewood Middle, to start a community health fair. The school's counselor for the past 14 years, Taibi was up for the challenge. She called on teachers and community members to help her create a hands-on event, she said. "There are so many health fairs out there that provide a lot of good information," she said. "But information is not enough. You need hands-on activity to help people remember.

A wealth of health care information will be available during the free Health and Wellness Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Holy Trinity Church.In addition to health care information, the fair will offer screening and tips from several health care providers, including the Yalich Clinic, Diet Workshop and United Optical.Representatives from several nonprofit organizations, such as Parents Anonymous, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, the tTC Alzheimer's Association and Partners in Care, also will be on hand.

As part of "Celebrate Merriweather," a daylong family festival marking Columbia's 40th birthday, Howard County General Hospital will hold a Community Health Fair from noon to 5 p.m. July 15 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. About 70 exhibitors will provide screenings and health and safety information. Local nonprofit organizations will provide information on services available in the community. The fair, which is being held on the final day of Columbia's birthday celebration, will be in Merriweather Post Pavilion's VIP parking area; signs will guide motorists to the VIP parking lot. Admission is free.

Hospital plans health fair Howard County General Hospital will present a Korean American Health Fair from noon to 4:30 p.m. April 26 at Centennial High School, 4300 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City. The fair is co-sponsored by the Ellicott City Horizon Council, Howard County Health Department and the Korean American Community Association. Screenings for blood pressure, hearing, glucose and cholesterol, and dental screenings for children are planned. Clinical breast examinations and information on mental health and diabetes will be available.