Diabetes Health Fair Offers Free Screenings and Prevention Info During a Fun, Family-Friendly Event

Seventh Annual Diabetes Health Fair
Friday, May 21, 2010, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Downtown Watsonville Plaza (next to the Farmer’s Market)

Seven percent of Santa Cruz residents (some 18,000 people) now have Type 2 diabetes, one of the highest rates in the State.  Public Health officials project a doubling before 2020.

The national cost of diabetes and its complications exceed $130 billion a year, and that’s rising at least 10% a year.  For the tri-county area it’s close to a half billion.

A major key to reducing the incidence of the disease and its complications is early detection and a healthy lifestyle.

Therefore, the goal of the Health Fair is to:

• Provide up to 400 free blood sugar screenings to adults 18 years and over
• Provide prevention education so individuals can make healthy lifestyle choices and prevent or reduce complications of the disease
• Provide referral information so low-income adults know where to get help if they are at risk or have a high blood glucose screening
• Host community health agency booths to promote healthy lifestyle choices, including Center for Community Advocacy, Central California Alliance for Health, Clinica del Valle de Salinas, Diabetes Health Center,  Head Start, Healthy Kids, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, PVPSA, , and Planed Parenthood, Jacobs Heart, Salud Para La Gente, Si Se Puede, Survivors Healing Center, Twin Lakes School, Valley Hearing, Vista Center for the Blind

Bilingual Spanish speaking nurses and health educators will be present.

Music will be provided on site along with prizes, games and a jump house for kids, making this a fun, family friendly event.

The Regional Diabetes Collaborative (a project of the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust) is a membership organization of 35 public and private entities from Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties. The Health Fair is its annual community outreach and education event. For more information, contact Raquel Ramirez at (831) 763-6445.