Annual Wellness Expo & Job Fair for Scholarships Set for April 1-2, 2009
What started more than a decade ago as an idea to promote healthier living to the community has blossomed into a major event that generates much-needed scholarship funds for deserving Lone Star College-Montgomery students.
And, in 2009, the event, known as Healthier U, returns with a job fair component to go along with the two-day communitywide wellness expo. The event begins Wednesday, April 1, and culminates with the 12th annual Healthier U Wellness Expo and Job Fair on Thursday, April 2. Activities include educational and interactive booths, a heart-healthy cook-off, multimedia sale, free preventive health lecture, silent auction, free health screenings and more.
Proceeds from Healthier U go toward scholarships to benefit students in health-related and other academic programs at Lone Star College-Montgomery.
"Last year, Healthier U efforts resulted in the award to 40 students of $500 scholarships each," said Mary Hoff, division operations manager and Healthier U coordinator. “We were also able to establish an endowed scholarship for Healthier U, which will be given to a deserving student each semester in perpetuity.”
Booth sponsorships for Healthier U are still available. Sponsorship levels with increasing benefits include Bronze ($250); Silver ($500); Gold ($1,000); and Platinum ($1,500), with increasing levels of benefits for each sponsorship level.
Among the 30-plus businesses and organizations sponsoring booths at last year’s Healthier U included top-level sponsors Houston Community Newspapers (The Villager & The Courier), Sadler Clinic, HealthSouth, Sam’s Club, Houston Employment Weekly, and Wal-Mart Supercenter Store #3213. Gold-level sponsors included St. Luke’s Hospital CMC, and Memorial Hermann Hospital The Woodlands. Silver-level sponsors were Nexus Health Systems, Conroe Regional Medical Center, USE Credit Union, and Woodlands Custom Vision.
Bronze-level sponsors were The Woodlands Integrative Medicine, 123 Fit, Aquatic Care Programs Inc., Associate Degree Nursing 2nd Year Students, Bank of America, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, BrightStar Healthcare, College Park Medicine, P.A., Core Fitness, Delicioso – Great Mexican Food, Gold’s Gym, Healthy Beginnings Family Chiropractic, Homewatch Caregivers, Hospice Care of the Southwest, Institute for Physical and Alternative Medicine, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Nutrition Depot (Sterling Ridge), PrintMailers, Inc., Redi Clinic, Regent Care Center of The Woodlands, Rodgers Stein Chiropractic Center, Scrubs, Etc., South Montgomery County YMCA, LSC-Montgomery Student Activities, The Forum at The Woodlands, Capital One Bank, The College Network, American Laser Center, Tri County MHMR, Tympany, Wal-Mart Vision Center, Yeiter & Somers, LLP, and Z-Coil Pain Relief Footwear.
"Sponsoring a booth is excellent publicity for health-related businesses and organizations," said Hoff. "The Healthier U planning committee is excited to offer this health and job fair to the community. It is a great opportunity for the public to see how resources in our own community can help us live healthier lifestyles. It's also a wonderful way to provide financial support to a significant number of students, especially in the fields of nursing, radiologic technology, physical therapist assistant, human services and criminal justice.”
On Wednesday, April 1, the event kicks off with the gently used multimedia sale that continues throughout the two days of Healthier U. Wednesday also features a heart healthy cook-off, as well as the beginning of a two-day silent auction, featuring items from a variety of local merchants, restaurants and organizations. These events start at 11 a.m.
On Thursday, April 2, the wellness expo and job fair, silent auction and multimedia sale will run from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
At noon on Thursday, an awards ceremony will be held to recognize the Healthier U scholarship recipients for 2008, as well as the Platinum and Gold-level sponsors.
Throughout the day, there will be informal presentations, demonstrations, exhibits, and the conclusion of the silent auction and multimedia sale. Most activities will take place in the Commons area (Building A). All events are open to the community.
For more information on sponsoring a booth, please contact Steve Rosita at (936) 273-7030.
For more information about the Healthier U job fair, please contact Michelle Haynes, program manager of career counseling at Lone Star College-Montgomery, at (936) 271-6163.
LSC-Montgomery is located at 3200 College Park Drive, one-half mile west of Interstate 45, between Conroe and The Woodlands. For more information about the college, call (936) 273-7000, or visit Montgomery.LoneStar.edu.
Lone Star College System consists of five colleges, including CyFair, Kingwood, Montgomery, North Harris, and Tomball, six centers and Lone Star College-University Center. With more than 51,000 students, it is the largest college system in the Houston area, and third largest community college district in Texas. For more information, visit www.LoneStar.edu.