Long Beach residents came from all around to attend the first inaugural Health & Wellness Fair – hosted by the Leadership Long Beach Class of 2009 – at Houghton Park in North Long Beach on Saturday. Vice Mayor Val Lerch and First Lady Nancy Foster opened the event with speeches, and dozens of free prizes were given away during the fair, which offered free medical services including blood pressure, eyesight and hearing tests to attendees. The lbpost.com was a proud sponsor of the event, and I am a member of the organizing class.
The event was organized as a final project for this year’s Leadership Long Beach class, with the goal of promoting “…the fostering of healthy lifestyles and conditions conducive to health for all people in Long Beach.”
Some alarming statistics were revealed thanks to on-site medical screening services provided by Memorial Hospital and other exhibitors. Of those who were checked for blood pressure, 42% were found to have elevated levels. Of those attendees who were checked for cholesterol, 41% were found to have elevated levels. Six people were sent to local emergency rooms when they were found to have had critically high blood pressure levels. A total of 45% of the 350+ attendees were residents of the 90805 zip code – according to on-site survey data – which is the area immediately surrounding Houghton Park and other parts of North Long Beach.
Children were able to participate in arts and crafts activities along with face-painting and fun dance routines, while prizes from bicycle helmets to Aquarium of the Pacific tickets were given away each hour.
Photographer Valerie Kelly was on hand as an exhibitor with The Center Long Beach, and found time to snap the photo of Foster above. Kristine Reed provided the two photos below.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor
