Gunnison Hospital hosts health fair
Suzanne Dean
Publisher
9-15-2016
GUNNISON—People from the Gunnison Valley and beyond had an opportunity to run in a 5K commemorative race, get their blood sugar level checked and experience a mock 3 mph car crash, to name just a few activities, at the Family Health and Safety Fair Saturday.
The event, sponsored by Gunnison Valley Hospital and Gunnison Valley Home Health and Hospice, especially appealed to youngsters, who could pick up free backpacks, get their faces painted and try on firemen’s gear.
The fair kicked off at 8:30 with the 5K, sponsored by Gunnison Valley Home Health and Hospice. The run/walk was billed as an opportunity to remember loved ones who had passed away.
After a few words from Carl Cox, social worker for the hospital and home health agency, balloons were passed to the assembled runners and walkers. Participants could, if they wanted, write messages on their balloons with magic markers. Just as the race took off, everyone released their balloons in unison.
Winners (see names at the end of this article) got camp coolers. In addition, the winners and all other participants got to choose from a large selection of general prizes.
“We had awesome community support for all the prizes,” said Joy Weber, who works in medical records for the home health agency and was there to help with the race.
Booths offering a wide array of health and safety information and screenings lined both sides of the street for about half block in front of Gunnison Valley Hospital.
There was a booth on diabetes that offered blood sugar readings. At the Central Utah Counseling booth, workers passed out decks of cards with messages designed to be “conversation starters” between parents and children.
The Ephraim Eye Center offered a test in which a tiny puff of air was bounced off the eyeball. The test detects possibly glaucoma, optometrist Jake Robison explained.
Trooper Jared Taylor of the Utah Highway Patrol operated the crash simulator. Even though the simulated crash was at a speed of just 3 mph, participants, mostly youngsters, got a strong jolt. The idea was to show the importance of wearing seatbelts anytime you’re in a vehicle.
There was also a concert by the eight-member Gunnison Valley High School jazz band. And people had a chance to donate blood inside the Central Utah Clinic building across the street from the hospital.
Meanwhile, there was a continuous line from about 11 a.m. until past 1 p.m. for the free hot dog and hamburger lunch provided by Gunnison Valley Hospital along with Gunnison Valley Home Health and Hospice.
Winners of the 5K race were:
Men, 18 and under, Janzel Keisel; men, 19-35: Chad Avery; men, 36-55, Clint Keisel; men, 56+, Terry Eyre.
Women 18 and under, Lexee Keisel; women 19-35, Lizzie Barrett; women, 35-55, Fawntell Mogle; women 55+, Vickie King.
