38th annual Children's Health Fair to be held in Unity

More than 500 third grade students will have a chance to explore robotic medicine, dental hygiene and other topics next week at the 38th annual Children’s Health Fair at Charter Oak United Methodist Church in Unity.

The event is hosted each year by the Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society in partnership with Excela Latrobe Hospital.

To accomodate the numer of students attending, the May 10 event will be held in two sessions, each lasting about two hours. In that time, elementary students from Greater Latrobe, Derry Area and Ligonier Valley districts and the Valley School of Ligonier will visit 12 stations dedicated to health and wellness.

“The students already hear this information at home or at school from their parents of teachers,” said fair chairperson Lorraine Burd. “The fair helps them get the information in a different setting and hopefully they’ll be able to start putting the idea of healthy choices into perspective.”

Students will play games or participate in a demonstration at each station. Some of the subjects include dental hygiene, robotic medicine and occupational and physical therapy. Stationare are manned by an Excela professional, a member of hospital aid society or a community member affiliated with the society.

“If (students) hear this information from all different people, then they might be able to remember something small from each person and use that to make healthy choices and ultimately lead a healthy lifestyle,” Burd said.