Over the weekend, the Department of Health Sciences, Counseling and Career Planning, and Health Services sponsored a series of wellness fairs for the University District. Residents who live in neighborhoods surrounding UALR were invited to participate in health screenings and assessments. Mayor Mark Stodola came out to kick off the event.

One of the biggest perks was getting a free one-year membership to the UALR Fitness Center at the Donaghey Student Center. Donna Quimby, health sciences chair, told us that they had a great response, issuing 255 ID cards.

Some of the senior citizens in the area already have begun taking advantage of this great resource. The oldest is 93-year-old Ms. Pumphrey who drove herself to the fair.

Meanwhile, an entire family did their health assessments and registered for membership together, then sought help from the on-site counselors to learn more about goals and barriers, so they could provide the necessary motivation for one another. What a great support group!

The wellness fair was part of a Growing Healthy Communities initiative designed to help communities enact policy and other changes to make healthy lifestyle choices more accessible. Earlier this year, the UD team presented a gardening workshop and gave away raised garden beds to the community. You can read more about that experience in my “Urban Farming in the UD” blog post.