Healthy Schools Healthy Kids Health Fair will be held from 1 until 6 p.m. April 3 at Charles Henderson Middle School.

The public is invited to take advantage of this opportunity to have free or low cost health checks in a fun-filled atmosphere, said Adjoa Grubbs, Healthy Schools Healthy Kids outreach coordinator.

The Healthy Schools Health Kids Health Fair is a family affair and everyone is invited to participate.

&uot;Sometimes we think only adults need health screenings and checks, but that's not true,&uot; Grubbs said. &uot;Visions screenings are always important because if children are having vision difficulties, they can't see in school and that will affect their progress. And, more and more American children are becoming obese. As a result, we are seeing more diabetes in children and different types of diabetes are affecting children.&uot;

Grubbs said, if children are aware that their parents place importance on health screenings, they, too, will be more likely to have the important checks as adults.

&uot;At the Health Fair, several health care agencies will conduct health screenings, which will be free of charge, except a low fee for the cholesterol screening,&uot; Grubbs said. &uot;We appreciate the support that we receive from these agencies. They make the Healthy School Healthy Kids Health Fair possible.&uot;

Healthy Schools Healthy Kids will conduct blood sugar checks. Edge Regional Medical Center will conduct blood pressure checks and cholesterol screenings and Troy Health and Fitness will conduct body fat analysis.

&uot;Booths will be set up to provide valuable information about health issues,&uot; Grubbs said. &uot;The Montgomery AIDS Outreach program, All Kids Self Insurance, AIM (Abstinence in Motion will have booths. And Jody Lee, dietician and outreach coordinator, for AIM will provide nutritional information.&uot;

Troy Pike Regional Center for Technology health occupation students will provide good information with topics appropriate to children's health issues.

&uot;We hope that a large number of people will take advantage of these free and low cost health screenings,&uot; Grubbs said. &uot;We especially hope to see a lot of families taking part in the health fair. A health fair can be very beneficial and sometimes detect a condition before it becomes a serious health problem.&uot;

Grubbs said the Healthy School Health Kid Health Fair will be fun as well as informative.

&uot;We'll have snacks and, as always when people gather, there will be the added pleasure of fellowship.&uot;

Healthy Schools Health Kids is a rural health program of the Charles Henderson Child Health Center.