Helping Hands: Get healthy at Kids Care Fair

Summer vacation is at about the mid-way point and I would like to mention a few items that should be of interest to a lot of us. First, summer seems to be going very quickly. Also, it seemed it was too hot and too wet for a lot of us! My home received two doses of the too wet! The second one coming in the midst of writing this.

Activities I wrote about earlier are in various stages from already completed, in process and yet to come. I have read with interest some very good things the Barstow Branch Library is doing this summer and they are still continuing with a busy schedule. Check “Around Town” in this paper. It has lots of very good information of those organizations that send information and schedules to them.  

Some organizations are already working on the 2008-09 schedules. AFS has placed a foreign student for 2008-09 and they would like to add another one or two. Anyone interested in hosting should contact Barstow Coordinator Tanya Concho at 252-7437 or the AFS Portland office at 1-800-876-2377.

Now, I wish to tell you a little more about the free Kids Care Fair to be held on Saturday, August 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cora Harper Fitness Center, 841 Barstow Road.

But first, a little history of the Kids Care Fairs. The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Red Cross started them in 1990. They were sponsored by Save-on Drugs, ARCO and ABC TV 7 and offered in 30 locations in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside County areas. Here, Barstow Community Hospital, in cooperation with the High Desert Immunization Coalition and Barstow’s Rotary Club began it in 1997. Since then a few changes have been made with reorganization as recently as 2003, but basically they have always been striving for better health.

Twenty or more additional organizations help to support the local Kids Care Fair here each year. The annual events are planned as a family affair with things to do and see and much to learn about health, nutrition and safety. There will be free screening and immunizations for those two months to 18 years old. The screenings include dental, height, weight, hearing, vision, oxygen level, scoliosis and blood pressure.

The Kids Care Fair uses volunteers and training for them continues. The last one was Saturday, the July 12, and they continue on Saturday, July 26 from 4 to 6 p.m. and on Aug. 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. Those meetings are at Bethany Christian Fellowship, 2191 Armory Road. The volunteers will help with setting up and cleaning up. The call is also out for donations. They are looking for new items to include shoes, socks, gloves, backpacks, jackets and school supplies. Infant car seats will be checked and replaced if needed. For additional information 256-2127 or 885-4888.

Mark your calendars for the Kids Care Fair, Sat., Aug. 16 and share word of it with those who haven’t yet learned of it.

ABOUT THE WRITER:
Helen Bendure is a correspondent for the Desert Dispatch She can be contacted at rimrock83@aol.com