Health and Fitness Expo biggest

  • Published
  • By Nick Stubbs
  • MacDill Thunderbolt editor
MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. --  There have been health and wellness expos at MacDill in the past, but there has never been anything as big as the event scheduled for next week -- the first-ever Health and Fitness Expo geared for the entire base, including all mission partners, retired military and DoD civilians. 

"This is the first time we've done anything this big in our history," said Joan Craft, director of the Health and Wellness Center. "We've gotten so many calls and requests from off-base people who want to be part of it, it's just very exciting." 

This year's expo will be Wednesday, and everything from diet education, physical fitness assessments to mole examinations and free massages will be offered. Many private firms will have booths set up and HAWC personnel will be on hand to sign people up for various programs and courses geared toward improving health. 

"At this event we will be focused on conversions and tracking how many interventions we can accomplish," said Ms. Craft. "We want a 20 percent return in people who enroll or participate in programs, so it isn't just going to be a case of booths and services; we are going to be following up to ensure we have a good number of people who take advantage of our programs." 

The expo will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Base Commissary parking lot to ensure plenty of elbow room. It will be sponsored by the HAWC, the Commissary, AAFES and Pfizer. Past such events have drawn huge crowds, as servicemembers and base personnel took advantage of free health screenings and various other offerings related to health, mental well being and fitness. 

"We've tried to put together a complete package of services, information and opportunities," said Ms. Craft. "We think we've done it and it is something you don't want to miss." 

The best part is everything will be free. Another dimension of this event will be incorporating Wing Man Day. 

"It's an excellent fit, because the core of Wing Man Day is creating a culture of responsible choices," said Ms. Craft. "Health and fitness and ensuring the people you work with and family members are healthy is part of what Wing Man Day is all about." 

Health risk appraisals will be done, along with cholesterol screening, blood pressure checks, glucose tests, body fat analysis and bone density testing. Organic foods and snacks will be available and visitors will be able to sign up for various health and fitness courses offered through the HAWC. 

There will be demonstrations of golf, three-on-three basketball and beach volleyball. The Moffett Cancer Center Mole Patrol will be on hand, as well as the American Cancer Society. The Florida Career College massage therapists will be there to work their magic, while WQYK's Rolling Radio & Super Prize Machine will be providing entertainment. 

Additional clinics include visual acuity, hearing, breast cancer, dental, physical therapy, dermatology, mental health and gynecology. 

Those interested can call the HAWC at 828-4739