To help ensure students across the Region have a healthy school year, Marram Health Center welcomed them all to its annual Back to School Health Fest on Saturday, August 24. Many vendors and booths packed the parking lot outside Indiana University (IU) Northwest, sharing resources, screenings, health information, appointment scheduling, and more to celebrate health and wellness throughout the academic year and beyond.
"Today we are offering community information, resources, and back to school supplies. We have snacks, bikes, raffles, games, and music for the kids," Etha Lasenby, community outreach manager, said.
Marram has always been passionate about providing children with the resources they need to stay in the best of health year-round. Hosting the Back to School Fest allows students of all ages to have access to these services they may otherwise not have access to, and through this opportunity, they get to take part in the many great things the fest has to offer.
"The benefit of this fest is putting information out in the community about different programs and services that might not otherwise be known about," Lasenby said.
In addition to a plethora of health resources, the Back to School Fest presents an opportunity for kids to have a fun afternoon with family and friends as they browse the booths and take part in the exciting activities throughout the event. Seeing that community connection is just about everyone’s favorite part of the day, they love that they can interact with many others in their community.
"My favorite part is the bike raffle and watching the kids get all excited about who's going to win," Lasenby said.
Marram was not alone in putting the fest together for all to enjoy. Many different organizations were very eager to step up and be a part of this year's event, which the Marram team greatly appreciates – none of this would be possible without their help.
Another big proponent in bringing the Back to School Fest to life has been IU Northwest. The fest has been held at the school for many years, and the school’s partnership with Marram has played a vital role in helping the event be a success each year.
"Every year they allow us to use their facilities for free. They don't charge us. We use this for our back to school event every year, and we also use it for our trunk or treat in October," Lasenby said.
This combination of support allows the heart of the event to fully shine for all to see - creating healthy communities while making sure kids have everything they need to ensure their minds and bodies are all set to enjoy the school year to its fullest potential.
"It means a lot to me to be able to provide resources and information to the community. There's a lot of programs and agencies out here that they're not aware of, so I enjoy being able to give that information to them," Lasenby said.
For more information about Marram Health Center, please visit marramhealth.org.