GALVESTON, Texas - The stressors of Hurricane Ike have taken a toll on county residents' health, and the goal of this year's Galveston County Health Fair is to help residents commit to reclaiming their personal health. The 15th annual event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the new McGuire-Dent Recreation Center, 27th St. and Seawall Boulevard.
Coordinated by the department of health policy and legislative affairs at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the county health fair brings together UTMB student volunteers, health professionals and community residents to inspire all of us to lead healthier lives.
Several of the activities offered at this year's fair include:
- Free health screenings - blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and vision.
- Blood drive.
- Health and safety information.
- Free refreshments.
- Door prizes.
- Exercise and cooking demonstrations.
- Live musical entertainment.
- Children's activities - face painting, games and balloon sculpting.
Galveston County's Million Calorie March will precede the event at 8 a.m. The goal of the march is to have 1,550 people walk two miles roundtrip on Galveston beaches to burn 1 million calories cumulatively by the time the last walker has crossed the finish line.
Participants will walk in 30-minute intervals beginning at 8 a.m. Sign-in starts at 7 a.m. at the recreation center. The march will be led by Gary Marino, star of the documentary "Million Calorie March: The Movie." The movie will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, in the recreation center gym.
The fair is a community service project and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Kelly Cassity at 409-747-0821or klcassit@utmb.edu.