Free healthcare screenings, free entertainment, and free food will be available at the 5th Annual San Jacinto College Senior Wellness Expo, October 20 in the Interactive Learning Center at San Jacinto College Central Campus from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pasadena Mayor, Jeff Wagner will be in attendance.
“This is a free of charge event. Seniors aged fifty-five and over can take advantage of free health screenings, vision screenings, blood pressure screenings, and vaccinations. There will also be a plethora of free information for our senior community to take advantage of. The CPT and the Community of Engagement welcomes seniors in the Pasadena and surrounding areas to come out,” says Dedra White, Coordinator for Community Engagement.
Upon arrival seniors can head to the check in desk and be assigned a color. Volunteers will then aid the guest and walk them step-by-step when their color is called.
“Since its conception we have seen growth every year, with both vendors and sponsors a like. In the past it was difficult to get donations to fund the event. However, vendor participation has helped increase the number of sponsors and donations,” says White.
Approximately ninety vendors will be in attendance. San Jacinto College Eye Care division will be offering eye vision exams. Walgreens will be offering vaccines, Village Medical will be offering blood pressure screenings. Cancer Research will be giving out cancer prevention information. Caption Call by Sorenson will be giving out information on hearing loss and using resources like Captioncall. Parson House assisted living will have a representative answering questions and offering insights about assisted living and hospice care.
“The goal of the event is to bring awareness to improve the lives of our seniors and their caregivers.” The Senior expo states on the SJC website.
Breakfast and Lunch will be provided to community members free of charge. There will be door prizes and entertainment. Additionally, there will be exercise such as yoga available as a wellness activity amongst others.
With open enrollment starting, there will also be assistance to help community members choose a Medicare plan that best suits their needs.
“Typically, as soon as the event is over, the following Monday we start preparing for next years,” Ms. White continues, “there is a lot of organization and preparation that goes into an event of this magnitude. We try to get better each year, were trying to help the community while trying to out-do ourselves each year,” says White.
In the past the senior event has morphed depending on the dates and vendors available. Last years event honored Veterans. The Dobie High school Airforce ROTC program presented the colors during the opening ceremony. There was also a Wall of Honor that featured pictures of veterans allowing participants to write them a brief message.
Last year the event saw approximately 175 seniors. This year that number is expected to grow.
The Senior Expo has more than thirty sponsors this year with Golden Outlook being the elite sponsor. Sponsors include the Park at Bay Area, MAB Insurance Agency, Kelsey Research Foundation, Devoted Health Plans, CapTel Captioned Telephone, Brident Dental and Orthodontics, Village MD, Suvida Healthcare, MTC Plus Network, Morada Deer Park, Molina Healthcare, Amada Senior Care, Altus Hospice, and Sorenson, among others. In that list there is approximately fifteen non-profit sponsors and twenty for profit sponsors.
For reservations, please call 281-478-2786 or 281-478-3622 option 1. For additional details visit the 5th Annual Senior Wellness Expo website.