On the afternoon of Friday, June 13, Porter County Health Department hosted its second annual Health and Wellness Family Fair at the Central Park Plaza in downtown Valparaiso. Over 35 vendors set up tables under the William E. Urschel Pavilion, offering swag and information about their services to the families that stopped by the free-to-attend, open house-style event.
During the health fair, free athletics physicals and vision screenings were made available to young attendees. The Indiana Department of Health offered immunizations for kids, while the Zac Mago Foundation and Northwest Health teamed up to give young attendees preventative heart screenings. Denmark College students assisted with the health screenings, provided free haircuts, and even set up a station for free facepainting. Indiana University Indianapolis School of Dentistry students provided kids with free dental exams.
Dr. Linda Boxum, board of health president for the Porter County health department, is optimistic that the fair will have several positive effects on the local community.
“We are very excited about this event,” Boxum said. “This is a great opportunity to show the public the activities and services that we at the Porter County Health Department and our community partners have to offer. Some families aren’t necessarily aware of all the partnerships, facilities and services that are available to them. The Health and Wellness Family Fair brings all of these organizations that promote public health under one roof. We appreciate the funding we’ve received from state legislators this year and hope that they continue to support us and our community partners as we continue to offer these services.”
Bullying Free Future, the Porter County Public Library System, HealthLinc, the Porter County Police Department, Help Me Grow Porter County, and Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership were among the event’s vendors. The Lunch Box on Wheels, Dr. Dawg, and Northwest Indiana Snowie, kept the attendees well-fed as they perused the booths.
“We put a new twist on this year’s event,” Demetrious Lewis, communications specialist for the Porter County Health Department, said. “We partnered with the Salvation Army to put on a canned food drive to support local families. Kids who donate three canned food items will be entered in a raffle for a brand-new bike, helmet, and lock. With the official first day of summer being on June 20th, we decided to sneak our event in a week earlier. We wanted to ensure that we could help families keep health and wellness in mind as they kick off the summer. We’re offering a variety of screenings today so kids can be ready to start school in the fall.”
Several booths included fun activities for the attendees to enjoy. The Young Men's Christian Association set up an activity station where attendees could practice their balance and agility while the Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Health Department Booths featured a jumbo “Operation” game. In April, the Porter County Health Department put on a t-shirt design contest that was open to Porter County students from kindergarten to fifth grade. The winning shirt was worn by all Porter County Health Department staff at the fair, and the designer was presented with a bike and equipment at the event. Additionally, a raffle was held for those who donated three food items. The prize for that raffle was a voucher for Leo’s Bicycles in downtown Valpo, which included a new bike, helmet, bike lock.
Since he only just ascended to his position in October of last year, this is the first time that Dr. Rodney Guimont Jr., health officer for Porter County Health Department, has attended the Health and Wellness Family Fair.
“We’ve had an excellent turnout with both attendees and vendors today,” Guimont said. “There are so many different opportunities for people to engage with local health at this event. It’s a great way for the public to learn about what the Porter County Health Department does. Whether they are interested in learning about anything from beach safety to addiction recovery, I hope the community members here today get to see just how wide the scope of local health resources is.”
For more information about Porter County Government and the Porter County Health Department, please visit portercountyin.gov.
