Hundreds of people came out to the 9Health Fair at Front Range Community College in Westminster last week. The April 25 event was the second year the school hosted the fair that offered over 25 free and seven low-cost health screenings to anyone age 18 and over
Chris Heuston, chair of Allied Health at Front Range, said the initial idea to host a fair came about after members of student government were seeking health resources for students on campus. She said most FRCC students don’t have health insurance, so the 9Health Fair was a great way to offer the campus community an opportunity to take advantage of the many health benefits the fair has to offer.
“The 9Health Fair really promotes preventative health care,” Heuston said. “Last year we expected around 200 people and got 800 so it shows that not only are students using this resource, but so are the people in the surrounding community.”
The 9Health Fair is in its 35th year providing free and low-cost health screenings to people all over Colorado throughout the spring season. Over 16,000 volunteers will serve more than 75,000 people in communities large and small. Marla Rodriguez, director of communications for the 9Health Fair, said the success of the fair would not be possible without the volunteers.
“There are only about 25 people on staff, so we could never do 135 fairs without the volunteers,” she said. “These volunteers are also the reason why we can provide the low-cost blood screenings for just $30. And we haven’t raised the price in 11 years.”
Along with blood chemistry screenings, other low-cost and free screenings include: prostate specific antigen, blood pressure, Vitamin D and hemoglobin A1C. All results are sent directly to each participant within a couple weeks. During the fairs, people can also ask medical professionals questions and get information from various medical organizations.
“The fair is a huger opportunity for people to take action and be proactive about their health,” Rodriguez said. “And now with insurance the way it is, medical costs are rising. At a fair people can get screened and if there is an issue that needs to be dealt with, that person can then go to their primary physician.”
For more 9Health Fair information, please visit www.9healthfair.org or call 1-800-332-3078.