HODGDON, Maine — The after school programs of Mill Pond School and Hodgdon High School held a Community Health Fair on May 14. Both programs run under 21st Century Community Learning Center grants managed through the Maine Family Resource Center in Danforth.
Over 150 people attended this special event that featured student displays over various health topics. Mill Pond students and staff worked together over the course of six weeks to produce displays on such areas of interest as asthma, dental health, burns and their care, essential oils, and dairy products. One group of three girls did an amazing presentation about chicks, chickens, and eggs that even included live hens, roosters, and chicks.
The kindergarten students, along with a few older students and their after school instructor, had a visit from Katie and Joel Duff of Duff Farms in Hodgdon to help with their understanding of dairy products. They enjoyed making their own butter and used that as part of their display. Erica Rockwell of Mother2Mother Escentual Oils was a great help to Mikyla Howland and Sabra Scott, who focused their presentation on the benefits of essential oils.
Students from Hodgdon High School participated with displays on healthy snacks by providing yogurt parfaits and fresh fruit smoothies. Sarah Smith of ACAP’s Healthy Aroostook Program assisted them. Other booths offered by the high school after school students had Emmaly Jurson, RN, taking blood pressures on site and a home fire simulator borrowed from the Houlton Fire Department.
Students and community members were also treated to the chance of sounding the sirens in a state police car or a fire truck.
Along with displays, those in attendance were able to try their hand at some hula hooping using hoops made and designed by students as part of a six-week session with Addie Boyett and Adele Crowley. Girl Scout Troop No. 731 asked people upon arrival to choose a sticker to describe them as either beautiful or average. Once they arrived at the Girl Scouts table, they were shown a video that helped many to “choose beautiful.”
Other presentations were made by Jared Carter of Community Health and Counseling Services and Janine Stewart Moran of Houlton Regional Hospital.
Attendees to the fair were given tickets to win one of many donated door prizes ranging from free ice cream cones to first aid kits with the favorite prize being a bicycle donated by Mill Pond’s after school program, which was won by Zach Kervin.
Door prize winners were: Loreen Wiley, Tyson Cofske, Kevin Parent, Lori Lenentine, Launi Daly, Courtney Jurson, Mariah Wiley, Kate Gott, Emma Stubbs, and Adele Crowley, Houlton Farms Dairy cones; Abbie McAtee and Autumn Ganzel, bike helmets; Jon Scott and James Ruffin, first aid kits; Erin Peters and Jeff McAtee, bike light kits; Melinda Parent, Madison Benn, Ron Bubar and Isaac Jurson, Main Street Fitness day passes; Meghan Kervin, Pro 21 Massage Therapy gift certificate; Ryan Wilcox, Mother2Mother Escentual Oils gift basket; Dominic Johnson, Naturally “Bee-Ewe-Tiful” gift box; and Molly Veysey and Noah Bartlett, hanging plants.
