8/25/2006
Media Contact:
Cherrish S. Pryor, Indianapolis City-County Council (317) 327-4245
Tony Felts, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana (317) 287-6036 |
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Council’s 2nd Annual Kids Health Festival will Provide Free Immunizations
(Festival is last chance for students to receive free shots for this school year)
INDIANAPOLIS -City-County Council Members will host the 2nd Annual Kids Health Festival. "The purpose of the event is to provide health education in a fun atmosphere to children and their parents and guardians. "We want to engage parents and children to obtain and pursue good health in a holistic way," said Councilman Ron Gibson, Event Chairman. The festival is free of charge to the entire community.
WHEN: Saturday, August 26, 2006
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Glendale Mall,
6101 N. Keystone (Keystone and 62nd Street)
The festival will be the last chance school-aged children, grades K-12, can receive free immunizations from the Marion County Health Department for the school year. Immunizations, including shots for Hepatitis B, will be provided by the Marion County Health Department. Other offerings will include eye exams, and dental checks provided by the Health Department’s Smile Mobile. Last year over 2,000 people attended the event, and over 500 free immunizations and health screenings were given.
In addition to the immunizations, there will be interactive events to encourage parents, guardians and children to adopt healthy habits, such as good nutrition and exercising regularly. The festival will feature Clarian’s Fan VANN, indoor and outdoor activities. Demonstrations, games, entertainment, and educational health zones will bring awareness to many major health issues facing the community. The health exams and entrance into the event are all free. Gifts and prizes will be awarded to participants who complete their "Treasure Map to Good Health".
According to the Marion County Health Department, children in the community face many health risks. The risks include obesity, asthma, preventable injuries, cancer, homicide and birth defects. The goal of the event is to bring awareness to the issues and provide families with opportunities to avoid or overcome health challenges.
Council President Monroe Gray said, "One of the best ways to ensure children have a long life is to provide them with knowledge on how to live healthy. A lot of kids don’t have health insurance and cannot afford to see a doctor to get their shots for school, and if they show up at the festival we can take care of them." He said, "The community will benefit most if we are able to address the needs of our children and uninsured adults on a year-round basis and not just at certain times of year, because sickness can happen anytime to anyone."
Although the event is targeted to children ages 12 and under, there will be some screenings offered to adults. Those will include blood pressure checks, cholesterol checks, glucose tests, and lead poisoning checks. Health screenings for adults will also be free of charge."As a Central Indiana business leader, Anthem will continue to be actively involved in finding innovative solutions to our community's pressing health problems," said Dennis Casey, President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana. "We’re pleased to sponsor this event because it gives adults and children an opportunity to become more informed about their health and to adopt healthy habits. Healthy kids grow into healthy adults."
The Council thanks its major sponsors, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana, Clarian Health Partners, the Marion County Heath Department, United Water and Veolia Water for their support.
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