Although homecoming week is a time of celebration and partying for some, many still found time to attend the annual Health and Safety Day at the Hansel E. Tookes Sr. Recreation Center.
The health fair event was free and open to students, faculty and residents of Tallahassee. Ninety-eight community partners were available to offer free information about disease prevention.
Mildred Brickler, faculty chair for the annual Health and Safety Day, said she wants individuals to take charge of their health and to know that knowledge is power.
“We really want students and faculty and staff to come out and become empowered because knowledge is power, and once you know about your health, you know about how to keep your life in good shape,” Brickler said.
Student volunteers were on hand to make sure the event ran smoothly. Many Florida A&M colleges and schools were part of the event.
Musa Darwish, a sophomore pharmacy student from Tallahassee, said health is important, and he wants people to know that most health illnesses are manageable.
“Chronic conditions are happening in minority communities,” Darwish said. “As a future pharmacist, we have to make health an issue to the minorities that don’t have access to that health care insurance.”
There were a variety of health agencies such as Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Leon County Health Department and Capital Regional Medical Center on board to make this event a success.
Kimberly Jones, a health support technician with the Leon County Health Department office of minorities, said health education is very important in the minority community.
“We provide HIV and STD education,” Jones said. “We will provide health screenings like BMI (body mass index), high blood pressure and blood glucose.”
According to Brickler, numerous departments that do not primarily focus on health contributed to the success of the event.
“In addition to health, we have the Leon County Fire Department along with the Department of Highway Safety and Patrol here to support us, and we consider all of this a part of health and wellness,” Brickler said.