Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Health-A-Rama offers testing, fun for everyone

It's time for the 5th Annual Health-A-Rama in Prescott.

Again this year, the event will be held in the First Baptist Church gym Saturday, Sept. 8, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The Health-A-Rama gives many people an opportunity to undergo health-related screenings they either couldn't afford or otherwise wouldn't.

It also lets people know who their health care providers are in the county and reminds them health care is still available in Nevada County even though the hospital has been closed several years.

Those planning to come should fast (not eat) before coming so the different health screenings will be more accurate. This includes screenings for diabetes and cholesterol.

Once these tests have been done, though, food vendors will be on hand and there will be plenty of free orange juice and snacks available for the patrons.

Other screenings to be done include oxygen saturation, blood pressure checks, cataract and glaucoma exams, anemia and child development screens.

Additionally, the Red Cross bloodmobile will be on hand to take donations for Nevada County at this time.

Along with the health exams, there will be several education booths with information on a wide variety of health-related topics. These topics will range from alcohol/drug abuse prevention, calcium needs, breast cancer awareness (with a chance to schedule a local mammogram), organ donor recovery, hospice care, physical fitness and child development milestones.

The youngsters haven't been forgotten at this year's event either. Parents can have their children fingerprinted and get a photo ID made.

There will also be plenty of games and activities for children, including bingo, face painting, McGruff the crime dog, crash dummies Larry and Vince, clowns, a coloring contest and balloon art.

A "teddy bear" clinic will available for stuffed animals needing medical attention.

For the teen crowd, a roll-over vehicle will be on hand to show what happens to the human body when a vehicle rolls over in an accident.

There will be prizes for the different events, along with door prizes, given out throughout the day.

The Health-A-Rama is sponsored by the Nevada County Health Alliance. This is a core group of health-care professionals representing health-care providers in the area.

The alliance was formed after the Nevada County Hospital closed, with the idea being to see health services were still made available to residents of Prescott and Nevada County.

Along with the medical professionals involved, other civic leaders pitched in on the health-care effort.