The 9Health Fair is gearing up this Saturday for its 35th anniversary in Clear Creek County.
The event runs from 7 to 11 a.m. at Carlson Elementary School in Idaho Springs. The adult-focused health fair provides free screenings of blood pressure, glucose levels, vision, hearing and cardiovascular health.
The event also has a variety of low-cost screenings that cover everything from blood chemistry for $30 to vitamin D screenings for $40.
Local resident Mike Morris has helped coordinate the health fair since its first days in the county and has watched the program grow across the state.
“It’s been a really good deal for everybody in Colorado and up here, too,” Morris said. “Over the years, we’ve averaged in the neighborhood of 200 to 250 people showing up.”
Morris said he became involved because he was president of the local ambulance association and involved in the Lions Club. One day, a 9Health Fair coordinator dropped into his office and volunteered him to pick up the reins for Clear Creek County.
“And I’ve been doing it every year since,” Morris said. “We’ve pretty well honed it down over the years into a well-oiled machine because we’ve been doing it for so long.”
Morris said that by far the biggest draw is the opportunity to get blood screened.
“My guestimation is that probably 70 percent of the people who come to the health fair get their blood drawn because it is a cheap thing,” Morris said, adding that the test looks at more than 33 aspects of a person’s blood.
The volunteers needed to stage the event are bolstered by local organizations, with the majority of volunteers coming from the local ambulance/EMS team and the Lions Club.
For pre-registration information and payment details, visit www.9healthfair.org or call 303-698-3799.
Contact Ian Neligh at couranteditor@evergreenco.com, and check www.clearcreekcourant.com for updates and breaking news.