Free health screenings, school supplies for local residents

Uniondale residents were invited to the Back2School Health and Wellness Fair on Saturday in preparation for the start of school in September.

The fair was held in the parking lot of the ShopRite on Jerusalem Avenue in Uniondale. People from Uniondale, as well as surrounding areas including Hempstead, Freeport, and Baldwin, were invited to spend the afternoon receiving free items and enjoying the entertainment. It was hosted by EC Media Strategies.

“I do this to give back to the community,” Elseah Chea, founder and CEO of EC Media Strategies, said.

Molloy University had a truck staffed with nurses, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals parked in the lot to give out free health screenings. People received free tests, from blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol to hearing tests and mental health assessments.

The truck also gave out educational pamphlets and information about a range of ways to mitigate major health problems, like a healthy diet and a steady exercise regime, and the professionals also offered to connect people to relevant doctors and counselors if needed.

Vida McCue, a nurse practitioner from Molloy University, explained that the truck goes to various underserved communities throughout the year to offer free testing, mental health services, and support to those with less access to regular healthcare.

“The purpose and the goal behind this is to go to communities that need healthcare services,” she said.

Go Party On Demand Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Roosevelt, was also a major sponsor, providing a variety of free materials. They worked with local organizations to gather backpacks and school supplies that volunteers handed out for free, with a coloring station for kids to decorate their book bags and a table filled with all kinds of school supplies for kids to “shop” for what they need.

There was also a tent with games, including ring toss and beanbag toss. Winners received tickets that they redeemed for a selection of prizes, which included Nerf guns, dolls, and other toys.

Other tents lined the section of the parking lot that represented local businesses and vendors to showcase their offerings to the community. A series of entertainers went on stage throughout the day, including a saxophone performance, a Zumba class, and bodybuilding demonstrations.

Chea started the fair in 2015, and it has continued to grow and service local communities each year.