Bradley County Health Fair Returns April 9th, 2016

What happens when a MEGA Brain, fun games, Smokey the Bear, beauty pageant winners, speedway cars, fantastic giveaways, seventy-five vendors and most importantly, free - yes, that's FREE! - health screenings all come together in one place? It's the 2016 Bradley County Health Fair and it will be taking over the entire 200 block of North Bragg in Warren on Saturday, April 9. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the street will be filled with entertaining activities for kids, great opportunities to learn about everything from ATV safety to basic CPR, delicious food and drinks, and of course, over fifteen free health screenings for everyone who attends.

"The goal of the Bradley County Health Fair is to educate, support and improve our community's overall well-being by providing them with the tools needed to improve their health and quality of life, and to do it all in a really fun way," said event organizer Brenda Bryant of Bradley County Medical Center (BCMC). She added, "The BCMC works closely with the Bradley County Health Unit, Extension Service and Hometown Health Coalition, plus Kids First and the Chamber of Com-merce, to make this event possible for our community."

What began over ten years ago as a small affair with only a handful of participants has now evolved into the second largest annual event in Bradley County. One of this year's highlights will be the ARSAVES "Mega Brain," which measures a full twelve feet high, fourteen feet wide and eighteen feet long, allowing people to literally walk through a brain to see how it's affected by a stroke. There also will be demonstrations on fire home safety including "Stop, Drop & Roll," car seat inspec-tions and for the kids, a chance to make their own pizzas and smoothies using healthy alternatives. The Life Share Blood Mobile unit also will be on site for those who wish to make donations.

Free health screenings will include BMI, vision, dental, diabetes, HIV and Accu-Checks, as well as blood pressure checks provided by South Arkansas Community College and UA Monticello and McGehee nursing students. The BCMC Lab will offer PSA screenings for men fifty and over April 11 through April 15 from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a $10 fee for this screening and vouchers can be obtained at the registration table during the health fair. Arkansas Heart Hospital will return with free heart attack risk assessments with screenings that determine total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycer-ides and blood sugar.

"Last year, as a result of this free screening, several people were told they were at risk for a heart attack and were given their test to follow up with their primary care physicians," said Bryant.

Another highpoint for fair patrons will be the return of Gracie Stover, Ms. Arkansas Outstanding Teen, whom Bryant said was a "phenomenal hit last year" with her timely and significant platform, "No Texting While Driving." Joining Stover will be Samantha Hudon, Ms. Ouachita River, and Katey Santifer, Ms. Texarkana Twin River. Both will share their platforms di-rected at pre-teens, teens and young adults, including Ms. Hudons's "Get up! Get moving!" and Ms. Santifer's "When Aware, People Care: Raising Awareness for Depression in Teens and Young Adults."

This year's many vendors will provide an array of educational information, ranging from autism and women's health to pe-diatric safety and underage drinking. Services offered on-site will include prescription assistance and Medicare and Private Option enrollment. And to top it all off, there will be face painting, a Cake-Walk and door prizes including gift and gas cards, cookbooks, bicycles, tricycles, helmets and much more. The 2016 Bradley County Health Fair has something to offer for everyone and its sponsors invite everyone to join them April 9 for this very special and fun-filled event.

For additional information, please contact Brenda Bryant at (870) 226-4302.