The Henderson County Health Department is putting together a free health and wellness fair.
“We want to share our knowledge and the resources that are available to people,” said Sharon Graham, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator.
“We have more resources available in the county than what people realize and we’re trying to spread that message.”
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, at the Henderson County Health Department, 208 W. Elm St. in Gladstone.
Karen Cole, a certified community health worker and community educator, said the fair will provide a relaxed setting for people to learn what’s available.
“Many people do not know until they absolutely need them where to go to look for services. And this will help give them a little preview of that,” she said.
A free walking breakfast will be served to everyone who shows up. The event is open to the general public and is not limited to Henderson County residents.
Informative speakers, a variety of activities
The event will include a presentation by Julie Meloan Bell of the Family Outreach Community Center in Stronghurst, who will share her breast cancer journey.
“She’s really funny and an awesome speaker, and can be a very good advocate and comfort to people that are going through this process,” said Cole. “She makes it relatable, but also helps take away some of the fear of it.”
Cole said breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in 157 countries.
“In the United States, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime,” Cole said. “And in 2024, 310,000 women and 2,800 men were diagnosed with an invasive breast cancer in the United States.”
Other activities include:
- Meet-and-greets with local health and wellness providers
- Short presentations on topics such as stroke prevention, warning signs of breast cancer, and the early signs of dementia
- Adaptive equipment for people with Parkinson’s disease or who are recovering from a strok
- Free screenings for blood type and hemoglobin
- Free tests for oral cancer and skin cancer
- Free boxes of Narcan.
- Registration for exercise and wellness prizes
Cole said there will also be demonstrations of exercise equipment that’s available for the public to use at no cost five days a week.
“We have an average of 30 to 40 people a day that come to our health department to exercise,” Cole said.
“This is a hidden gem in Henderson County.”
The event will also feature therapy dogs, the Pink Heals Pink Ambulance of Western Illinois, and more.
The health and wellness fair is funded in part by the Carolyn Adams Ticket for the Cure Grant and the Henderson County Health Department.
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