By Lili Samios and Dagney Palmer
TUSCARORA HIGH SCHOOL- On Saturday, April 2, Tuscarora held a free health fair and blood drive in order to promote fitness and healthy habits. Venders from local dental offices, fitness centers, gyms, and health food stores participated in the fair by giving out prizes and advertising their products.
Students from not only Tuscarora High School but also from Smart’s Mill Middle School and Francis Hazel Reid, Leesburg, and Balls Bluff Elementary Schools were invited to take part in activities such as jumping rope, dancing, and competing in push-up contests. Many students brought their entire families to learn about health and fitness. Several Tuscarora athletes attended the health fair after their morning practice.
Anyone over the age of 16 had the opportunity to give blood at the health fair. Permission forms were given out during all lunch shifts the week before the fair to all students interested in donating blood. Many people took this chance to help others by donating life saving blood. Sponsored by INOVA Blood Donor Services, the blood drive was a way for ordinary students to make a difference in the lives of people in need.
Ms. Jacobs was very proud of the health fair, saying, “I think overall it was a great first year project… The sports teams have come through, either before or after their practices, to really get involved. A lot of students have been giving blood and I think we’ve had a great turn out overall.” Though not as many students attended the health fair as was hoped, Ms. Jacobs has a positive outlook about improving this project in the future. “We’re going to maybe look and see how we can access more of our kids so maybe next year we can maybe do a 4 to 8 after school kind of deal and see if we can reach more of our teens.” With these improvements next year, perhaps more students would be willing and interested to come to the health fair or donate blood.
Julie Hall, a junior at Tuscarora, was joining in the fun by donating blood. She said about the health fair, “I think it was awesome! I did donate blood; it was really fun!”
All biology students who attended the fair and talked to five vendors will receive ten points of extra credit for the fourth quarter All students who were able to attend appeared to have a blast! The Tuscarora Health fair was an educating and fun experience for students and families alike. It was for a great cause and was the start of a new and unique tradition for years to come.