College of Pharmacy’s 10th annual health fair offers health care options

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy will present the 10th Annual Health Fair on Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo.

The annual Health Fair is the College of Pharmacy’s largest community outreach event. Members of the public are invited to visit educational health care booths and obtain health screenings, including blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI) tests. Vaccinations provided by CVS Pharmacy will be available.

Distributed throughout the mall will be booths featuring community organizations, live demonstrations and entertainment. New this year is a “Keiki Korner,” designed to educate and excite kids about science. Youngsters can learn how to “compound” silly putty and ice cream, and make their own Cartesian Diver, a new booth that demonstrates the principle of buoyancy.

“The fair allows us to help the community by having conversations about various health topics, provide health screenings to give people a general picture of their health, and promote healthy lifestyles,” said Tyler Peterson, a student pharmacist from the Class of 2020. “For students, it is a great opportunity to practice our communication skills and putting our classroom knowledge into practice. For the community, it is an opportunity to ask questions relevant to their health and, hopefully, become more motivated to take greater responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.”

Participating organizations include AlohaCare, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross Disaster Preparedness, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Big Island Substance Abuse Council, Bone Marrow Registry, Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes, Hawaiʻi Benefit Solutions, Hawaiʻi Island HIV/AIDS Foundation, Hilo Vet Center, HMSA, Hope Services Hawaiʻi, Hui Malama Ola Na Oiwi, MasterCare, NAMI-National Alliance of Mental Illness-Big Island, Partners in Developments, Pillow Case Project, SHARP, SMP Hawaiʻi-State Executive Office on Aging, The Arc of Hilo, UH Hilo Doctor of Nursing Practice Program and United Healthcare.

The public can follow the health fair on Instagram (@healthfairdkicp) and Facebook (@DKICPHealthfair) to keep updated with news and for the chance to win prizes.

For more information, contact Tracey Niimi.