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St. Luke's Elmore hosts yearly health fair
by Tim Bondy
Mountain Home News
Parents and their children gathered at St. Luke's Elmore Medical Center on Saturday during a yearly event aimed at promoting healthy living as well as fun.
Held on the medical center grounds in Mountain Home, the children's health fair has remained a community attraction for more than a decade.
Many local businesses were on hand with interactive educational booths to keep the children and adults entertained. Meanwhile, the Glenns Ferry Health Center was handing out information and bags of goodies for the children.
"We're here to show the kids how they can keep their teeth healthy, as wells as the rest of their body and even their minds... all of it is important to us," Matthew Johnson, outreach coordinator for the local medical center.
The Mountain Home Parks and Recreation Department was another popular booth with the crowd as they gave away oranges and swimming guides while providing answers on some basic health and safety questions.
"This information isn't just for kids either; it's about seniors and everyone else in the community," said Debra Brito, the city's assistant recreation director, as she handed a bag filled with oranges to a small child.
Nearby, the Mountain Home Public Library booth had kids lining up to win prizes in a fishing pond. Catching three magnetic "fish" with an old fashioned stick pole challenged the fishing skills of some kids.
"I'm going to get that yellow fish and a prize for my mom," said Gordon Carpenter as he maneuvered around the small fishing pond.
Bringing a "Knock Out the Bullies" message to the health fair was the Elmore County Domestic Violence Council. After setting up empty cans decorated as bullies, the kids lined up to knock down pretend bullies with a soft bowling ball.
It only took Natalie Morales two tries to knock down all the canned bullies and win a small prize.
"When people talk about domestic violence, what gets left out a lot of the time is the kids getting bullied," said Julia Robinson, a volunteer with the local council.
The Waca Pacas 4H Club brought their alpacas to the health fair for people to interact with and feed. The alpacas also kept some kids company as they walked around Richard Aguirre Park during the YMCA sponsored fun run held in conjunction with the fair.
"Alpacas and kids go together... they bond really well," Nancy Brletic said while watching seven year old Emma Gomez and two year old Zayven Hayter as they were petting the shaggy white alpaca.
"Alpacas make very good therapy animals. We even take them to assisted living facilities in the area," Brletic went on to say.
Doreen Krabbenhoft, foundation director at St. Luke's Elmore, said she thought this year's fair was a great event for the community.
"I want to thank this community. They make it a wonderful Health Fair 2015 just by coming out and participating," Krabbenhoft said in appreciation of how the event turned out. by Tim Bondy
Mountain Home News
Parents and their children gathered at St. Luke's Elmore Medical Center on Saturday during a yearly event aimed at promoting healthy living as well as fun.
Held on the medical center grounds in Mountain Home, the children's health fair has remained a community attraction for more than a decade.
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