Conant holds its fifth Health and Safety Fair

The fifth annual Conant Health and Safety Fair took place during lunch periods in the atrium on Friday, April 10. The fair involved participation from dozens of groups and organizations, all committed to improving the lives of others in the community.

Students had the opportunity to learn facts about health and safety and talk with numerous booth staffers.  Those who were 18 or older could get a complimentary massage courtesy of students from Harper College.

Some of the other booths were staffed by representatives from Alexian Brothers Hospital, the American Cancer Society, the Hoffman Estates Police Department, and District 211’s Operation Snowball.

In addition to the members of the community, Conant students were also involved with displaying information. The Conant ‘Helping Everyone Respect Others and Expect Safety’ club, or HEROES, was the group that primarily set up the event. Several members maintained a booth during the fair and provided information about the club. Freshman Allison Pariso created a tri-board that displayed information about dementia, which her great-grandmother and maternal grandfather suffer from. Pariso stated that the board was previously a project for a gifted class, but she also wanted to promote awareness for dementia by having it in the fair.

Despite the amiable atmosphere of the event, the men and women who represented these support groups, foster homes, and other organizations recognized how dangerous situations regarding personal safety can get, and aimed to prevent those situations.

Kurt Gubitz works to help teenagers drive safely as part of a campaign set up by the Secretary of State. He explained that he’s seen too many young people who’ve gotten into car wrecks. The triboard beside him displayed the personal accounts of some of these teenagers, including one who had accidentally crashed into and killed a girl while intoxicated.

During talks with other friendly staffers, Conant students learned how a group of Harper College students were putting in community service hours to become professional therapeutic massage specialists, and about the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, or ANAD.

The student turnout was large, as there were easily dozens of students attending at any given time, and hundreds who attended overall. Students actively participated and discussed the topics at hand, whether about cancer, foster care, or spinal column disorders. The boards and pamphlets that were available helped demonstrate just how many things can go wrong for someone throughout their life if they aren’t careful.

The free event aimed to promote safety for Conant students and help them be aware of the health concerns others face in the community.

+1