SHU Community and Health Fair

BY Devin Gavigan

Staff Reporter

The 12th annual SHU Community Wellness and Health Fair took place on Oct. 10. The University Commons (UC) was lined with people and vendors from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Sacred Heart has been hosting this event for 12 years to bring awareness on how to start living – and continue living – a healthy lifestyle.

“We are hosting this event so that we can share health and wellness information with faculty, staff and students in order to foster a healthy work/school environment,” said Human Resources manager Sally Schettino.

A variety of health vendors set up all throughout the UC with both local businesses as well as Sacred Heart organizations being in attendance.

Schettino said, “In attendance were Aetna Medical, Barnum Financial, Club Pilates, Deb’s Healthy Place, Dr. Dani Dental (alumni), Field goods and Noma Phriem Breast Center, to name a few.”

Schettino said Sacred Heart’s own organizations, Audiology, Campus Ministry, Exercise Science, the Health and Wellness Center, Volunteer Services and more, were at the fair.

Students, faculty and staff walked around, talking to all the various vendors and listening to all they had to offer. Vendors mingled with the attendees, providing handouts and information as well as snacks and giveaways.

To name a few, Chartwells provided free water and apples, Wheelhouse Center for Health and Wellbeing provided massages, and FYUL Food for Life on Campus provided health-friendly salads and refreshments.

“The Office of Human Resources held a raffle of a Fitbit, and handed out ear buds and electric toothbrushes. Additionally, the vendors raffled off free sessions or a gift certificate to their business,” said Schettino.

Norma Pfriem Breast Center provided various handouts and information, from information about their cause to detailed instructions for at-home breast exams. A bucket of pink bracelets were also being distributed in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The fair also provided free flu shots to faculty, staff, and students from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. according to the SHU Human Resources table, faculty and staff were by appointment and by walk-ins for students while supplies lasted.

Sophomore nursing major Tara Hagerman was one of the students giving the flu shots in the Edgerton Theatre Lobby. It was Hagerman’s first time giving shots to real patients, so she believed it was a very educational experience.

“When I gave my first shot the patient said it didn’t hurt at all so that really boosted my confidence. After that, I was trying to get as many people as possible. I was super excited because that was really the first thing that I was able to do on actual people instead of the mannequins in lab. I was able to figure out what steps I needed more work on and what things I can do to make it easier on myself,” said Hagerman.

Sacred Heart also has therapy dogs visit the fair to comfort all of the people in attendance. Junior Anna Carney attended the fair to see the therapy dogs.

“I think that having the therapy dogs here at SHU is great. It gives you the opportunity to relax and forget about your classes and other things going on. Seeing those therapy dogs makes all of your worries go away. It’s so refreshing to be able to go and play with furry animals and see how happy they are. It’s as if these dogs bring a little piece of home to SHU,” said Carney.

According to Schettino, the Community and Health fair is here to help the community of Sacred Heart. “The purpose of the health fair is to bring local health related vendors in to share the services that they offer and also share information on preventing illnesses like cancer, diabetes, etc.”

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