File Photo
Members of the South Orange Rescue Squad man a booth at South Orange’s 2012 free health fair. This year’s fair will be Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Orange firehouse, located at 56 Sloan St. Come for information, free health tests, to donate blood or just for some of the fun activities.
By Shanee Frazier, Staff Writer
SOUTH ORANGE — Local residents will have access to tips on having a healthy new school year as the South Orange Village Department of Health hosts its eighth annual free health fair for the community. The event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Orange Firehouse, located at 56 Sloan St.
Attendees can avail themselves of free health screenings, including: spinal analysis, fasting glucose and cholesterol counts, blood pressure checks, hearing tests, eye screening, nutritional information, injury prevention, child-identification kits, vertigo and inner ear issues, osteoporosis screening, and lead screening.
A local social service agency will also be presenting participants with information on the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
There will also be opportunities to learn about male and female cancers, how to become a non-fasting blood donor, and to speak with members of the South Orange Domestic Violence Response Team.
In an email to the News-Record, Deputy Village Administrator Adam Loehner stressed the significance of the health fair.
“The health fair has been a staple in South Orange for eight years now,” Loehner said. “It has given our community an opportunity to obtain a variety of health information, learn preventative measures to avoid health risk, and screenings free of charge under one roof and in one day.”
Amenities such as spinal analysis, osteoporosis screenings and vertigo/inner-ear issues are not always topics addressed at health fairs, but in his email Loehner cited the close proximity of excellent health care as the reason why the South Orange Health Department is able to offer these services.
“South Orange Village is situated in an area that is surrounded by fantastic health care facilities and professionals,” Loehner said. “We are extremely fortunate to be able to team up with some great local partners to provide unique services that may not be offered at most health fairs.”
According to Loehner, some of those partners include St. Michael’s Hospital in Newark, St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston and the Blood Center of New Jersey of East Orange.
The local Domestic Violence Response Team will also be on site at the event to provide information to the community about available local resources and assistance.
“The Domestic Violence Response Team offers a service that is vital to our community,” Loehner said. “We are grateful that this organization continues to participate in the health fair to raise awareness of the kind of assistance offered to victims of domestic violence.”
Face-painting, balloons and age-appropriate health literature will be available for children at the event.