Fair offers insight to women

Walking booth to booth, sisters Linda Steele and Janet Shelton of Seymour were learning about their health at the Schneck Foundation’s Women’s Health Fair on Saturday morning.

“I like coming here where everything is in one spot,” Shelton said of all the information available to women in the gymnasium of Seymour-Jackson Elementary School.

Steele said she likes learning about the community groups and agencies.

“Sometimes you forget about the different groups that are out there to help you,” she said.

Shelton said all of the advice from health professionals is nice.

“As you get older, you want to do as much as you can to have good health,” Shelton said. “You have to put your health first.”

Waiting in line for their turns to take a heel dexa scan, Laurie Greene and her mother-in-law, Betty Greene, were also enjoying all of the tests available at the health fair.

The heel dexa scan is a bone density scan that screens for osteoporosis.

“We want to be as healthy as possible,” Laurie said of why they attended the health fair. She said this was her first time attending, but Betty had attended in the past.

The annual health fair expanded this year with about 75 vendors.

In addition to the heel dexa scan, a foot structure analysis, blood pressure screenings, oxygen level testing and blood screening were all available to women.

“It really is a blessing for the community to have a resource like this for the women,” said Lynna Weston of Vallonia. It was her first time attending the health fair and said she was “learning so much” about her health.

Ann Craig of Scottsburg travels to the health fair every year. She said she it’s a great way to meet knew people.

Debbie Laitinen, chair of the women’s health committee for Schneck Foundation, said the annual health fair had an additional 20 booths this year.

She said the health fair was held on the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

“Women are always thinking about their health,” she said.