Southmoreland Area High School to sponsor health fair
ALVERTON – Health and fitness will be the topic of conservation at the first ever Southmoreland Area School District Health Fair on Saturday, March 12, at Alverton Senior High School. According to representatives of the Southmoreland Community Health Council (SCHC) and Students for Life Choices (SLC), formerly Students Against Drunk Drivers, the health fair promises to offer healthy lifestyle information for young and old from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
“We hope to see people from the ages of two to 92 at the health fair,” said SLC President Jennifer Santmyer. “A lot of hard work and preparation has gone into planning this event, and we are expecting a good turnout.”
Secondary school nurse Wendy Huffman and elementary school nurse Linda Yonkey agreed and said that more than 45 different health fair participants will be represented at the high school.
“We have representatives from the American Cancer Society, Alcoholics Anonymous, the American Heart and Stroke Association, the American Respiratory Alliance of Western Pennsylvania, the Arthritis Foundation, Concept Foods and Excela Health and Highlands Hospital, just to name a few,” said Yonkey.
According to senior high principal Carolyn Adams, the purpose of the health fair is to inform and educate the residents of the Scottdale and Mount Pleasant area about the advantages of a healthy lifestyle, including the benefits of recreation and exercise, and the opportunities that exist in the region.
Adams said, “A wide variety of events have been planned including demonstrations in martial arts, gymnastics, CPR and chiropractic health. An interactive schedule of health screenings and information booths are planned and will be held throughout the school on the first and second floors and everything is free.”
Judy Dodd, a registered dietitian who’s a member of the faculty in Clinical Dietetics in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh, will also be on hand to teach nutrition education at the health fair.
Huffman said, “We are proud to have Judy join us for this event. She is well known as a speaker, a consultant and a teacher, and is active in Action for Healthy Children, the Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity and the Prevention Initiative of the American Heart Association.”
Tenth-grade student Tony Sonita said he is proud to be part of the health fair because it has brought so many other Southmoreland organizations together.
“ALPHA, the German National Honor Society, the National Honor Society, Relay for Life, the Arts Council, cheerleaders, journalism staff, the Keystone Highmark Caring Team, mock trial, the junior and senior high school student councils, the Sony Star class and the Southmoreland girls’ soccer team, in addition to Students for Life Choices are all involved in this project,” said Sonita. “It’s amazing, but everyone wanted to get involved.”
Adams said the health fair follows last year’s drug summit that brought educators, administrators, parents and students together for the first time to discuss the rising increase in the use of illegal drugs and alcohol by children within the school district.
Adams additionally said that this is a continuing effort to address healthy lifestyles.
“One of the things we learned from last year’s drug summit,” said Adams, “is that our concerns here at school are not limited to the walls of this school. They are community concerns and if we want children to be healthy we need to help them make good choices about their health and about drugs and alcohol in general.”
Huffman said that’s one of the reasons she and Yonkey decided to form the Community Health Council in the school district.
“There has been an awful lot written on the subject of childhood obesity and the fact that this generation of young people may be the first generation in a long time who may not outlive their parents because of the problem,” said Huffman.”
Huffman said the idea of the Community Health Council came from Yonkey who was approached by a representative from the American Cancer Society.
“We thought it was a good idea and Dr. Adams and the school administration agreed,” said Huffman. “We found about 20 people who were interested in the concept and came up with a mission statement that promotes healthy lifestyles.”
Huffman said the students have been “phenomenal,” because everyone she has talked with said they have at least one family member with a health issue.
Santmyer said an obstacle course would be set up with exercises for children on March 12, anti-drug bracelets would be sold by SLC and the junior high school student council will present a Sun Safety presentation.
In addition to the Health Fair, Huffman said the Scottdale Kiwanis would sponsor a Multiphasic Health Screening on the same day at Christ United Methodist Church at 203 Market St. in Scottdale. Registration for the 32 blood tests is required and can be made by calling 1-877-771-1234 before March 10.
Huffman said the Multiphasic Blood analysis allows for detection of many potential health problems, including coronary heart disease, gout, anemia, electrolyte imbalance, diabetes, leukemia, parathyroid disease, liver disease, bleeding disorders, neuromuscular disease and kidney disease.
A 12-hour fast is required for the testing, added Huffman.
For more information on the health fair, Huffman can be reached at begin huffmanw@southmoreland.net huffmanw@southmoreland.net end
. Yonkey can be reached at begin yonkeyl@southmoreland.net yonkeyl@southmoreland.net end
.
Santmyer said a Chinese auction would be held and a one-year YMCA membership will be given out in addition to a collector’s edition football signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. A hat signed by former Steeler Jack Lambert will be given away and a Sony TV.