PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson Healthcare hospital’s Health, Wellness and Fitness Expo this weekend will offer information and activities to help participants maintain their health.
“We want to see people have a commitment to better health and get on a healthier regimen,” said Kate Burke, the hospital’s marketing director, who is organizing the event.
“To eat better, walk every day or quit smoking — whatever small changes they can make that leads up to results.”
The hospital will host a free expo with information and health screenings from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., Port Townsend.
Additional fitness opportunities are offered today at Mountain View Pool, Evergreen Fitness, Port Townsend Athletic Club and Madrona MindBody.
The expo has a participatory element: Those who complete three activities — two health screenings and one wellness assessment — will get a free lunch prepared by hospital chef Arran Stark.
“One thing I’ve discovered about living in Port Townsend is that if you want people to come out, you need to provide food and entertainment,” said Stark, who in four years has pushed the hospital menu toward local and organic foods.
“This will be a great catalyst to get people learning about better health,” said Stark.
Live music performances are part of the menu for lunch, which will begin at 12:30 p.m.
To give participants a head start in completing the free lunch requirements, some activities will take place today.
Participants can pick up at any participating location a flier that has a form with a space for validation of the activities, including a space for their health goal.
The hospital will follow up with participants to see if they met their goals, Burke said.
Those interested in classes should contact each individual location for a class schedule, or they can just show up, she said.
This includes swimming at the Mountain View Pool, 1919 Blaine Sr.; classes at Madrona MindBody Institute, Building 310 at Fort Worden; Evergreen Fitness, 22 Tahlequah Road; and the Port Townsend Athletic Club, 229 Monroe St.
A 10 a.m. bike ride sponsored by the Peninsula Trails Coalition will begin at the Cape George Trailhead of the Larry Scott Trail today.
A bike ride at the same time and place takes place Saturday.
Saturday events at the maritime center are:
■ 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. — Fun run/walk starting at the maritime center and traveling to Compass Rose.
■ 9:30 a.m. — Dance and movement presented by Madrona MindBody.
■ 10 a.m. — “Tai Chi for Better Balance” presented by Jefferson Healthcare.
■ 10:30 a.m. — “Kung Fu for Kids” presented by Jefferson County YMCA.
■ 11 a.m. — CX Works presented by Evergreen Fitness.
■ 11:30 a.m. — “Zumba for Everyone” presented by Zumba Fitness; “Kids’ Fitness” presented by the Jefferson County YMCA; and a healthy cooking class by Gabriel Schuenenmann of Alder Wood Bistro of Sequim.
Those who sign up for May’s Rhody Run will get all three fitness stamps and be eligible to enter a raffle for a gift certificate to Soak on the Sound.
Wellness assessments will include balance screening and assessments of foot health, hand strength and nutrition.
Health screenings will include blood pressure checks, glucose screening, pre-diabetes risk assessments, body mass index and cancer screenings.
Outdoor demonstrations of kayaking, paddleboarding, rowing and biking fitness are planned from 9 a.m. to noon outside the maritime center.
Stark has his own exercise regimen and will lead the paddleboarding demonstration at 10:30 a.m. but focus most on better eating practices.
“Food is a great tool that summons people,” he said.
“You give people good food, and it always wins them over.”
Burke said the event is designed to give people all the information they need to get on a healthy path in a manageable way.
She suggest setting reasonable goals.
“If you overload yourself with a lot of goals, you will fail,” she said.
“We want to get people to start small, doing something they can work into their life.”
Participants, she hopes, will find the answers to the questions people have about staying healthy.
“We will get people to try things for the first time and go back and do them again. If people get excited walking away from this, that would be great,” Burke said.
For more information, see http://tinyurl.com/PDN-health.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.