Heritage Park High School hosted its third annual health fair Friday at the Boys and Girls Club.
JP Cummings, who serves as the HPHS physical education and wellness teacher, coordinates the health fair for the 200 or so students at the school.
“This event is a great way to share information with students, staff, families and the community about healthy eating, physical activity, health services and other local health and wellness resources,” Cummings said. “It is also an opportunity to build relationships with local businesses and community organizations who may be able to provide ongoing support to school health initiatives.”
When Cummings began the fair three years ago, he said there were only five booths for the kids to visit. This year there were 20.
One of the stops at the fair was Owensboro Health dietician Kayla McBrayer, who has participated in the HPHS health fair all three years. McBrayer, whose husband teaches at the school, said she hopes events like this convey a message she is passionate about — making healthy food choices.
McBrayer’s booth was full of popular teenage drink choices with one common theme — sugar. Sodas, sports and energy drinks were displayed at her table with a baggies of sugar in front of it, representing the amount found in the respective drink.
“It never ceases to amaze me when they tell me they drink four Gatorades in a day or drink a Mt. Dew every day,” McBrayer said.
HPHS juniors Ethan Maske and Dylan Shultz both agreed that the fair was very interesting and informative.
“I like that we get to learn about a lot of stuff in a small amount of time,” Maske said.
Shultz said McBrayer’s message about sugar was particularly eye-opening and said he planned to cut back on some of his common sweet food choices.
The following agencies/businesses and individuals were a part of the HPHS health fair on Friday:
Daviess County Sheriff’s Office
Dream Riders
Joy Kaye Abel, teaching essential oils and health
270 Power Yoga
Owensboro Family Pharmacy
4-H – Stacy Potts
National Guard
Owensboro Health
Crossfit Rugrats
DCPS Student Assistance
Bicycle Owensboro
Owensboro Community and Technical College
Kentucky Wildlife
Owensboro Fire Department
Daviess County Animal Shelter/Control
Owensboro Hospital – Nutrition
Owensboro Police Department
SparKy (Saving Paws Animal Rescue of Kentucky)
Bridge Builders
