Photo by Ken Odor
Cooper Leipheimer, 3, with his face painted like Spider Man, waves from the train at Saturday’s Health and Family Day at the Goochland Family YMCA.

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It was raining when organizers started setting up for the Goochland Family YMCA’s Health Fair and Family Day last Saturday morning.

But that didn’t inhibit turnout, although since it was the first, there were no numbers to compare.

There were no pony rides or petting zoo because of concerns over muddy ground, but there were still train rides, run by the Central Virginia Assembly of God in Gum Spring.

Twenty-two vendors were on hand to dispense health information and entertainment, said Program Director Jan Kenney.

“People are visiting and socializing,” said Kenney as she examined one of Rob Diehl’s Yoyo Balloons. “And learning about health.”

The health fair was combined with a community yard sale, which was moved under a roofed pavilion to protect items from the rain, which stopped by mid-morning.

Most of the health vendors were camped out under portable tents on the grounds in front of the YMCA.

Marion Fulton and her granddaughter Dakota, 14, were selling furniture for a brother in law who recently moved into a nursing home.

They still had a Queen Anne chair and some other items left, but Dakota had success.

“I sold all my dolls and books,” she said happily.

Bon Secours Richmond Health System was present to promote their Care-A-Van, which provides free health care to the uninsured through scheduled visits each month to locations throughout the Richmond area. Driver Ken Dixon and his wife Lori, an RN, told visitors about the program.

The Care-A-Van does not service Goochland on a regular basis, but did come last month to team up with Goochland Free Clinic and Family Services (GFCFS) to provide physicals and immunizations said Ken.

GFCFS offered free blood pressure screening and information on treating chronic illnesses.

Stations for some lesser-known health problems were also represented. Mary Maiden of Richmond manned the table for IETF, the International Essential Tremor Foundation, where she explained to visitors that the disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease.

“It can change your whole life,” said Maiden of the little known disorder.

When not visiting the health care exhibits, fairgoers could come inside the Y building for a “Taste of Fitness,” to sample aerobics and other exercise classes available at the YMCA.

Also inside the YMCA building, Wellness for Life was doing ion cleansing foot bath detoxification and providing tips on reducing stress.

And Dr. Sam Brinkley of the Family Chiropratic Center and his assistant Katie Wertman gave free computerized posture screenings. Goochland YMCA Executive Director Jay Shively took the bait.

Dr. Brinkley snapped Shively’s photos and sat down at the computer with him. The verdict? Too much time at the computer, said Brinkley, and gave Shively some tips to improve his posture and make his computer hours less tiring.

Shively called the first health fair a success.

“Despite the rain this morning we had an excellent turnout,” he said. “People still came out. For the first we had a large crowd.”

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