ProMedica health festival scheduled

As with ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital's Red Dress Luncheon, which took place earlier this year, 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of its Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Community Health Fair. Area residents will be able to learn about health-related organizations and services, enjoy a free, light lunch and perhaps win a prize when the health fair takes place between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., May 15 at Stacy's Place, 625 Plaza Drive in Fostoria. "The parish nurses are the ones who really got this baby rolling," said Becky Bouillon, ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital's community outreach coordinator, who has been involved in organizing all of the health fairs, while referring to a former organization that served as a liaison between the hospital and area churches. "The cool thing is all of those parish nurses – who aren't parish nurses now; they're retired nurses – still help me. They volunteer their time to help and help at the event. So, it's really, really cool how this has kind of gone through a circle here." Admission is free for the public to the event, which draws vendors from within Fostoria and outside the city. "We have eight or nine departments from our hospital that will be represented," Bouillon said. "Good Shepherd (Home)'s going to be there. The (Fostoria) fire and police departments, St. Catherine's (Manor in Fostoria), HOPE in Fostoria, Pantry Plus (of Seneca County), the (Seneca County) health department, the (Geary Family YMCA), the (Fostoria) Senior Center, the United Way (of Fostoria), Eye Centers of Northwest Ohio – there are 44 different vendors and that's just a sampling of them. ... There are eight new vendors this year." Among the vendors are those who will provide free screenings for blood pressure, blood glucose, heel bone density, skin damage, hearing and more. "At a lot of health fairs, there's a vendors fee," Bouillon said. "We do not charge a vendor's fee. We ask them to bring a door prize. Sometimes they bring swag from their business. Some will bring flowers or something else. Then we have the grand prize, which is donated by JB Tours and (the Review Times). "People come for that. They want to see what different things are out there. The vendors have information about the different services that they offer. We also have a free lunch for the attendees, sponsored by John Irwin, Jenna Arnold and Brad Zoeller of Edward Jones." More information is available by calling 419-436-6688.