The city’s first health fair for the whole family will feature
dozens of exhibitors, games for children, a bone marrow drive and a
keynote address by Dr. Walter Bortz, a noted Stanford University
medical professor and author of
”
Dare to be 100,
”
which outlines a path to longevity.
Morgan Hill – The city’s first health fair for the whole family will feature dozens of exhibitors, games for children, a bone marrow drive and a keynote address by Dr. Walter Bortz, a noted Stanford University medical professor and author of “Dare to be 100,” which outlines a path to longevity.
The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce and Centennial Recreation Center are hosting the event dubbed the first annual Health and Wellness Fair and Resources for the Sandwich Generation 10am to 3pm, April 14, at the Centennial Recreation Center.
The fair coincides with national YMCA Healthy Kids Day on April 14 and organizers promise plenty to do for all ages.
Every aspect of living a healthy lifestyle, along with resources for those who are caring for elder and younger family members, will be featured.
Keynote speaker Bortz, 77, is one of America’s leading experts on healthy aging and author of four books and 150 articles promoting a robust lifestyle. An avid runner who still enters marathons with his wife, Ruth, Bortz often argues the nation’s health-care woes may be solved through exercise.
“In order for there to be a re-ordering from sickness to health as the prevailing theme, there must be a massive recognition of where health resides,” Bortz wrote in an e-mail to the Times last week. “Not in the clinic, hospital, not in the pharmacy, or doctor’s office, but at home, at school, and at work.”
America is on the brink of a longevity revolution that could change society’s expectations of what it means to grow older. More people are learning more and living longer, Bortz said, and there are as many people alive today at 65 or older as in all of recorded history up until now.
“Smart people live longer and better, so the more we learn not only will our lives have brighter prospects, they will also be longer,” he wrote in the e-mail.
Organizers of the wellness fair want to connect local professionals with those seeking healthier lifestyles. Doctors, nutritionists, chiropractors, physical therapists and other professionals will be on hand to promote their services with information, demonstrations and workshops.
“I really think as we move forward the only way to live healthy lives is to learn to exercise and eat right,” said Maureen Drewniany, a certified medical hypnotherapist in Morgan Hill who is chairing the event’s planning committee. “Hopefully we’re teaching our children that … how to make good choices.”
To make the event kid-friendly, YMCA staff members are planning an array of games and activities throughout the day that include basketball,
soccer, softball, bobbing for fruit and dancing to hip-hop and folk music.
Highlights for grown-ups include cooking demonstrations in the CRC’s full-service kitchen, blood pressure screenings by Saint Louise Regional Hospital and cholesterol tests.
The National Marrow Donor Program and Rotary Club of Morgan Hill are also encouraging adults – especially ethic minorities – to help save lives by registering as donors. Minorities are often under-represented in marrow registries, making it difficult to find a donor for them, especially those with mixed ethnic backgrounds.
“We are appealing to everyone in the Morgan Hill area who is of a diverse ethnic background to unite in a mission to save lives,” said Lou Mirviss, president of Rotary Club of Morgan Hill, which provided a $1,500 grant to cover the registry’s costs during the donor drive. “We need more Hispanic, Asian, and black donors on the registry so others can have a second chance at life.”
Seventy percent of patients with diseases such as leukemia and aplastic anemia will not find a family bone marrow match, according to Cynthia Carlson from the Northern California National Marrow Donor Program center. They must rely on volunteer marrow and blood stem cell donors.
Volunteer donors must be between the ages of 18 to 60 and in good health. After completing a brief health questionnaire, volunteer donors give a cheek swab and sign a consent form.
“The Health and Wellness Fair is a wonderful opportunity for the registry to come in,” said Sherry Hemingway, a Rotary Club member who helped organize the donor program’s visit. “Finding a match is like finding a needle in a haystack. But somewhere out there is the right donor. This is absolutely a life-saving effort.”
Knowledge isn’t the only secret to a longer life. Generosity moves everyone further down the road.
WELLNESS FAIR
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When & Where: 10am to 3pm, April 14, at the Centennial Recreation Center.
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Purpose: Every aspect of living a healthy lifestyle, along with resources for those who are caring for elder and younger family members, will be featured.
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Bring the Family: The event coincides with national YMCA Healthy Kids Day. Games and activities for children will be featured.
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Exhibitors: Local health care professionals will exhibit services and hold workshops.
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Bone Marrow Drive: The National Marrow Donor Program and Rotary Club of Morgan Hill are encouraging adults – especially ethic minorities – to help save lives by registering as donors at the event. Minorities are often under-represented in marrow registries, making it difficult to find a donor for them, especially those with mixed ethnic backgrounds.
