Update (3/11/2015): Due to possible thunderstorms, the Health Fair and Safety Stand Down will be held at Yano Hall March 13 from 9 a.m. -- 4 p.m.
FORT RUCKER, Ala. (March 5, 2015) -- Soldiers, families and civilians are invited to attend Fort Rucker's Health Fair and Safety Stand Down at the Fort Rucker Festival Fields March 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"There will be a post run, health fair and safety stand down designed to promote comprehensive health and wellbeing of Soldiers, families and civilians," said Maj. JoAnn Ward, chief of Preventative Medicine at Lyster Army Health Clinic. "Our focus will also be on safety awareness training for Aviation and ground topics."
The health fair will aim to focus on the five dimensions of strength within the Army Resilience Program: Physical, Emotional, Social, Family and Spiritual, as well as Injury Prevention and Risk Reduction, according to Ward.
To provide a more interactive experience, a scavenger hunt will be conducted during the event. Throughout the health fair will be designated areas and activities pertaining to each of the dimensions of strength, as well as injury prevention, where participants can earn a certain number of points toward for the Commander's Cup and log them on their scavenger hunt forms.
Social Interaction
Tim Laster, director of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation at Fort Rucker, said the social aspect that will be brought to the health fair on March 13 is the heart of healthy interaction.
"By building on our social health we are improving our ability to interact with others," Laster said. "Many would agree the Army provides friends for life. The ability to bounce back from stresses in one's life is crucial for the overall quality of life for our Soldiers, families, retirees and civilians."
During the health fair, there will be engaging games specifically for social interaction, including giant Jenga, oversized-puzzle problem solving and House of Cards, where teams will have to build a house of cards from an extra-large deck of cards.
Laster said Family and MWR is social resiliency at its best and helps assist in building a solid foundation for patrons to improve their social resilience.
"Family and MWR provides opportunities for social interaction with intramural sports programs, lunch and learn sessions, Oktoberfest, Girls Night Out and many family events like the upcoming Children's Festival, riding stable events and Lake Fest," Laster said. "We are about improving quality of life for our Soldiers, Families, retirees and civilians. We invite everyone to come out March 13, and enjoy some fun and games during the health fair."
Family Health
The Community Health Promotion Council's Family Resiliency Working Group and Army Community Service will offer a brigade bingo activity that utilizes physical movement of participants on a large bingo card. The game will help provide information and support for family health resiliency. The bingo card lists names of ACS and other family programs. Questions are posed to the participants and correct answers are documented by marking the bingo card in the proper space.
Participants will learn more about what ACS has to offer Soldiers, families and civilians, such as mobilization and stability and support operations readiness, emergency Family assistance plans, relocation readiness, financial readiness and more, said Fort Rucker ACS Director Pamela Williams.
"Family health and resilience are necessary components in helping individuals take more calculated and necessary risks and to capitalize on opportunities," said Williams. "Self-awareness, self-regulation, optimism, mental agility, strengths of character and connection are all competencies that help to make an individual resilient and able to bounce back from life's little surprises to its great tragedies."
Col. Gary Wheeler, Lyster commander, encourages everyone in the Fort Rucker community to attend the health fair.
"Most important health decisions are not made in the doctor's office," said Wheeler. "They are made when people are at work or at home with their families.
Admission to the health fair is free, and scavenger hunt forms can be obtained from people's unit or command points of contact, or on-site at the fit festival.
Related Links:
USAACE and Fort Rucker on Twitter
Social Sharing