The Pilot Point Health Fair strives to create a healthier community, one vendor at a time.
At the inaugural health fair, there were just under 40 vendors offering services for all ages and around 100 attendees; there were 62 vendors and 101 attendees as the second annual event Saturday.
“For Denton Freedom House, it's a way for us to give back to a community that gives so much to us,” Health Fair Foundation President Maria Jones said. “We're a nonprofit, and a lot of our donors are from this area, and so it's just a way that we can give back to them.”
Helping to organize the event with Jones are its founding members: Wendy Adkins, Abigail Bardwell and Renee Polk, who diligently worked behind the scenes to organize it and stayed prepared when unexpected road bumps occurred.
“At our original planned location, we had some maintenance issues that we couldn’t overcome in time to continue at that location,” Polk said. “But the [Pilot Point] ISD was very gracious to us and immediately made this space available to us, which it has worked out wonderfully.”
Something new this year was having both a website and a Facebook page for the Pilot Point Health Fair created by coorganizer Adkins.
“We are Pilot Point, we are in the process of growing, but we are still small and just seeing the kinds of vendors and the resources that are available just right up here in the 377 corridor. It’s amazing and I’m hoping it’s opening people’s eyes to what exists in our community where they can go and get themselves healthy, well and ready to tackle the world,” Adkins said.
Pilot Point Mayor Chad Major gave the welcoming speech; he thanked the many sponsors and volunteers, including the Lake Ray Roberts Rotary Club, the Pilot Point Independent School District, Denton Freedom House, the city of Pilot Point and the Pilot Point Post-Signal.
Resident Basil Gist served as the event’s emcee, calling out winners and helping distribute the raffle prizes.
Foodies in Texas was there as both a vendor and to cater healthy lunches.
One couple returned for the second year, browsing from booth to booth and appreciated the variety of vendors, and encouraged more people to come out.
“I know it’s early in the morning, but people are missing out on a good opportunity to learn about things that could help them, especially the older adults, like myself,” Gary Garcin said.
Another attendee, Shaniqua Murrell, came to the event for the first time with her mom to get her first mammogram after learning that Texas Health Resources offered the service and was appreciative of the health fair.
She was one of 15 participants who received that free breast cancer screening.
The fair offered a range of services, including dentistry, fitness, outdoor activities, counseling services, veteran services and other unique options to support both physical and mental health at a free or reduced rate.
Co-organizer Bardwell experienced the benefits of having a health fair firsthand.
“Last year I was in a different position in life than I am this year,” Bardwell said. “It was actually helpful for me last year to go and get my own blood work done because I had been kind of nervous about where I was, and it helped give me peace of mind.
“That might be an opportunity for that for other people in the community who maybe don’t have the resources they need to go to the doctor at the moment or think they don’t have the ability to do that right now. It gives them that chance to have that snapshot at what’s going on.”
It also gave people the chance to give through services like the Carter BloodCare drive that was offered on site and had 30 people donate.
“It’s just at a critical time right now,” advocate and resident BJ Wheeler said. “I’ve been saying 1,600 units, but that has increased to about 1,700 units a day in the North Texas area that are needed every day. The great thing is every unit of blood can help three people. … Donation is something that you can do and should do because it’s desperately needed.”
Lori Nelson, director of community engagement at Denton County Friends of the Family, said events like these help spread awareness of their services aimed to help those in need.
“Victims don’t always have a way to make those connections, or they are given messages that no one will believe you or there’s no one out there to help you, and we want everyone to know that we exist,” Nelson said. “So, whether they’re a victim or they know someone who might be a victim, this is the best way for us to get our information out there.”
Pilot Point resident William Harrison, right, selects a healthier muffin sample from The Muffiniers, run by Nicole Conner and Anthony Rocca. Paisley McGee/ The Post-Signal
