Sisters residents learn at Wellness Expo

Dr. May Fan is on the receiving end of a wellness check from Heidi Jimenez. Photo by Rongi Yost

Sisters High School gymnasium was transformed on Saturday morning, October 26, into a health club and information center at the first Sisters Wellness Expo.

Booths, displays, and activities filled the entire area. Flu shots, bone density screening, and cholesterol screens were available, as were eye exams and testing for blood pressure, body composition and flexibility.

The event was sponsored by Sisters Athletic Club (SAC).

Throughout the morning lectures were given on topics including diabetes, nutrition, and "incorporating wellness into your life."

Several bikes were set up at one end of the gym and Rich Hummel led a beginning spinning class. Bike spaces filled quickly and the spinning enthusiasts got a great cardiovascular workout.

Those with tight muscles could wander over to Cindy Sproat and enjoy a massage for $1 a minute.

Many students from Heather Johnson's high school Emergency Care and Health Class were at the Expo, manning booths with information on subjects that included alcohol and drugs, sexually transmitted disease and abstinence, disease and illness, to nutrition, self esteem and personality profile testing.

The students spent many hours researching and preparing for the event.

Junior Amanda McNearny was one of the many Sisters High School students involved. Along with partner Whitney Engstrom, she was in charge of the Nutrition Booth.

"One of the things we did was to compile a list of the top 10 foods that maximize the amount of nutrition you get from the calories and we also put together a cookbook which contained healthy versions of traditional recipes," said McNearny.

"We wanted to give people a better awareness of how proper nutrition impacts your total lifestyle."

Andrea Storton thought the Expo was great.

"I enjoyed all the booths," she said. "Body composition and bone density aren't things you always think about to have checked. It was nice to just walk over to a booth and get that done. Getting the results triggered action to what things I needed to focus on.

"It was just a great way to help people incorporate wellness into their life, and to realize it's not just a hard day at the gym," she said.

The concept for the Wellness Expo was a joint effort by Ross Kennedy of SAC and Sisters High School teacher, Heather Johnson.

"At the beginning of the year I touched base with Ross and we were brain storming ways for SAC to get involved in the PE and Health and Sports Medicine classes," Johnson said. "Almost simultaneously both of us thought of a health fair. We immediately began meeting at least once a week, and the idea just began to snowball."

Kennedy and Johnson are ambitious.

"We see people coming from all over the country," Johnson said. "We hope to eventually incorporate a walk-a-thon, a marathon, breast cancer awareness, and bring in big time professional speakers.

"We see the Expo becoming an all-day event," said Johnson, "possibly even a full weekend event as big as the Quilt Show!"