Being well is more than what you eat or how often you exercise. Those are part of the equation, there can be no doubt, but just think of the impact stress can have on your health when you struggle with your finances.
With that in mind, Southwest Technical College’s Amy Campbell and Holley Crubell, along with the other members of the Wellness Work Group, sought to gather together a variety of services that can help you have a healthier life. Those services will line the Lenz Center and nearby areas on the school campus during the Tuesday, Feb. 6 Wellness Fair between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Billed as “Jump Start Your New Year”, the event will bring together a variety of vendors and groups to address topics of physical, emotional, financial and nutritional wellness and safety. Samples, demonstrations and prize drawings will reward the 400+ expected attendees, the two women note.
“We hope that people will come to see the different areas of wellness,” Amy says. “…This is about overall wellness. It can help you make connections with the people who can help you reach your health goals.”
Pointing to the impact of positive thought, Holly says there will even be a vendor present who sells clothing tailed to deliver uplifting messages. And Grant County Human Services will set up a meditation space where visitors can stop in for a short break and a little help developing the stress relieving practice.
“There is no pressure on people who attend the Wellness Fair to purchase products or services,” says Holly. “We are really emphasizing that this is – and should be – a stress free environment.”
Attendees can find demonstrations of massage therapy, facial treatments, aromatherapy, and food samples. They can partake of smoothies made by Southwest Tech students while they talk to fitness experts about exercises and routines. They can speak with financial experts who can help them determine if their savings efforts will meet their future and current needs. Attendees can learn about lymphatic drainage, a therapy used to help the body eliminate waste and improve immune function, or find make-up that comes free of harmful or harsh chemicals.
Attendees also have an opportunity to sign up for a chance to win a Fitbit Alta HR or one of the many other door prizes available.
“All of this is free,” says Amy. “You don’t have to pay for anything. You go to the booths you want to go to, and you are free to walk past what you don’t want.”
Amy says she has found past years to be “eye-opening,” offering her chances to learn new methods and information for self-care. And the goody-bags with samples are a nice take-home treat.
“All the vendors are people who can help support improving and monitoring health in some form,” she adds.
This annual free event is open to anyone interested in the possibility of improving their health. The college hopes it continues to help people living in the technical district live healthier, more fulfilled lives.
Because it is February, the organizers did set a snow date. If weather makes it impossible for the Wellness Fair to be held Tuesday, Feb. 6, it will be held the following week on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
It took more than the handful members of the wellness Work Group to make this event happen, note the two. The Fennimore Chamber of Commerce, Gundersen Boscobel Hospital and Clinics, and Xtreme 107.1 radio are important partners with Southwest Tech in bringing this event to life. Support was also provided by Grant Regional Health Center, American Bank, Clarity Clinic, Community First Bank, Grant County Health Department, Head 2 Toe, Spinal Institute of Health, SWCAP Neighborhood Health Partners, and Wisconsin Bank & Trust.
