HODGDON, Maine — Hodgdon Mill Pond School was the place to be Thursday afternoon as the SAD 70 After School Program hosted its annual Health and Wellness Fair.
Lori Lennintine, one of the organizers, said the district has hosted the event for the past seven years as a way to give back to the local community.
“We invite kids and their families to come to this event,” Lennentine said. “It’s open to anyone in the community. The kids all do projects, and we also have professionals with displays. We always have tons of groups that want to have a table at this event.”
Jocelyn Ward, 5, of Houlton colors a picture at one of the many booths set up in the Mill Pond School gymnasium Thursday as part of the Health and Wellness Fair offered by the After School Program in SAD 70. (Joseph Cyr)
The gathering typically attracts between 80-100 people each year, she added.
Among the many booths included in this year’s fair were a fire simulator, police and fire trucks, photo booth, face painting, student-led presentations, healthy snacks, blood pressure checks and the Maine Forest Service with Smokey the Bear.
Representatives of the Katahdin Valley Health Clinic, Maine Family Resource Center, Linneus Fire Department, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine State Police, and the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office also were in attendendance.
Cheryl Quint, a child passenger safety technician, was one of the many exhibitors and was giving presentations on the proper use of child safety seats. Quint said it is a passion of hers to keep children safe by educating people.
“Car accidents are the No. 1 killers of children, so it is very important that they are buckled in properly through all the stages of their lives,” she said. “It has also been proven that three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly in vehicles. It does no good if the seat is not installed properly.”
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- Houlton firefighter Brent Estabrook sets up a display on fire safety tips at the Hodgdon After School Program’s Health and Wellness Fair Thursday. (Joseph Cyr)
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- Symphony Dwyer, a seventh-grader at Hodgdon Middle-High School, tries her hand at a hula hoop Thursday during the Health and Wellness Fair at Mill Pond School. (Joseph Cyr)
