Hundreds Turned Out for Health and Fitness Information and Activities

In the mid- to late-1990’s, Sunnyvale’s Department of Public Safety hosted a Bike Rodeo event. Columbia Neighborhood Center was doing its own mini health resource fair and at some point around FY 2000 to 2002, the city combined these two events to create the City of Sunnyvale Health & Safety Fair. The name of the event was changed to Fit & Fun Fair in 2012. The mission of the fair is to provide health and safety information, health screenings and safety demonstrations free of charge to the Sunnyvale community, and to showcase the many health and safety resources that are available locally.

This year’s Fit and Fun Fair was held on Saturday, April 26, 2014, 11AM–3PM, at Columbia Neighborhood Center. This year’s event was well attended, with over 900 visitors. The fair featured over 65 exhibitors that included a variety of non-profit organizations, public agencies and businesses that support health, safety and wellness. Staff from El Camino Hospital and Lion’s Club helped provide over 500 free health screenings for adults: Diabetes, Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Body Mass Index, and Vision. They also conducted 30 diabetes counseling sessions that day. Fair attendees could obtain nutrition information for the entire family and learn about Community resources for seniors. Staff from the Sunnyvale Dental Center provided free oral health checks for children. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety and Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital’s Safe Kids Network performed car seat safety inspections. About 40 drivers took advantage of the free inspections and 19 car seats were replaced because of unsafe conditions of the existing seats. Families checked out games designed to help children and their families be physically active. U.S. Tennis Association offered a Skills Clinic to fair visitors. Many at the fair toured the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Mobile Units and met some of their canine unit members (the dogs!).

There were several new activities and services this year. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety held an Expired and Unwanted Pharmaceutical Collection and a Bike Rodeo, co-sponsored by the California Office of Traffic Safety that included a Perfection on Wheels BMX Team Stunt Show, Safe City Skill Course, World’s Slowest Race, Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education and Smoothie Bikes. Over 11 pounds of medication were collected. This year’s event, as in past years, offered free bike safety inspections, free bike helmets along with proper fitting assistance. 90 people received free helmets at the fair. At least 120 youths participated in the Bike Safety skills instructions within the Safe City Skills Course. About 20 bike owners received safety checks for their bikes. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the County of Santa Clara Traffic Safe Communities Network, making possible all the bike-related safety activities and services and the free helmet give-away at the fair.

The Fit and Fun Fair, chiefly organized by Alicia Gonzales, Youth and Family Resources Program Coordinator, relied heavily on help from volunteers who signed up on the City of Sunnyvale’s website or with Program Coordinator, Carolyn Lutticken. In all, 67 volunteers put in a combined 330 hours of work to help make this event a success. Many of the volunteers were students from Sunnyvale’s middle schools and high schools.

Please watch for reminders of the 2015 Fit and Fun Fair, scheduled for May 2, 11Am to 3 PM.

Contributor: Alicia Gonzales, Youth and Family Resources Program Coordinator, City of Sunnyvale, Department of Library and Community Services