A dozen amateur performers exchanged smiles as they filled the gym with the rumble of hand drums.It was hardly what Cathie Davids expected when she set out for the Marshall Area Senior Health Fair on Thursday morning.
"I liked it," she said simply. The therapeutic drumming class she took part in was just one of the unique aspects of the second annual health fair at Marshall Middle School.
The morning-long, free event featured exercises and activities, 57 vendors giving out small gifts, and several local politicians, whose speeches were largely ignored by the perusing senior citizens.A cheerful accordion player strolled among the display tables, and seniors were fed and given free health checks.
Mamie Gamble, celebrating her 84th birthday, got her blood pressure and eyes checked at the event.
"I was surprised about a lot of things," Gamble said. "They got some of everything -- food, (health) checking, and free things. I enjoy it. It's a really nice thing."
But the lighthearted, social surface of the fair didn't mask its emphasis on issues facing seniors in the county, organizers said.
"For some, physically, their capabilities for finding resources are limited," said Karin Gallagher, director of marketing for Maplewood, an assisted living community in Marshall.www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20110408/NEWS01/104080312/1002/Fair-highlights-senior-health
Posts
