Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Bogalusa Heart Study — and community partners — invite all citizens to celebrate wellness by attending a free wellness fair entitled “Keeping the Spirit Alive: A Celebration of Wellness and Healthy Communities” on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

From 9 a.m. to noon, at the gymnasium of the Bethlehem Baptist Church (located at 837 E. Seventh St. in Bogalusa), area residents will be able to explore various booths and activities promoting general health and welfare from area community partners.

The fair will provide community resources, health education sessions and health screenings, as well as local vendors, children’s activities, free food, giveaways, door prizes, and more. Participants can learn about prevention and treatment of common chronic illnesses — such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, and more — and educate themselves on how to adopt and practice a healthy lifestyle.

Free health screenings will be offered, with no appointment needed. They will include: blood pressure; weight, height, BMI; bone density; glucose; lipids; HIV; colon cancer; and appointments for mammograms.

There will also be a variety of free health education sessions offered, on such topics as:

• “Rethink Your Drink — sugary drink demonstration”
• “Understanding your Cardiovascular Risk”
• “Managing your Diabetes”
• “Managing your Hypertension”
• “Lifestyle Modifications to Improve Cardiovascular Health”

Some of the community resources offered will include: ways to have fun (Bogalusa YMCA); positive family support system; oral health; Washington Health Center; cancer survivor support and comfort programs; ADAPT — Youth Drug and Alcohol Education; substance abuse support services; and Medicaid services.

This activity is possible thanks to the generous assistance of community partners, including LA Well-Ahead, Bogalusa Strong, Our Lady of the Angels Hospital, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, LSU AgCenter, and Humana.