During the 2018 South Central Youth Congress, on Friday, March 16, Oakwood University’s Healthy Campus 2020 program partnered with the South Central Conference to provide a health fair for attendees at the Fit for Eternity Youth Congress at the Renaissance Hotel & Conference Center in Montgomery, Alabama.
Paul Goodridge, associate pastor of the Oakwood University Church, representing the South Central Conference, and Dr. Shirna Gullo, director of Oakwood’s Healthy Campus 2020 program, led out in the events for the health fair. In addition to providing almost 200 registrants with a passport to be completed, each participant had an opportunity to have his/her height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure measured.
Individuals moved through the health screening stations to the STANDOUT stations (Sunlight, Temperance, Adequate rest, Nutrition, Drink water, Outdoors, Use physical activity, and Trust). Oakwood University and Academy students staffed the various booths, distributing healthy snacks. Dental hygiene items were donated by Dr. Adel Myrie and Dr. Wilatra Awoniyi.
To highlight physical activity, bouncy houses, a bean-bag toss game, basketball, a hopscotch board and hula hoops were available. One of the main features incl
uded the Ninja Warrior challenge which consisted of a series of daunting activities.
One of the most impressive features was at the Temperance station where participants were given an opportunity to sign a Temperance pledge, saying “no” to drugs, alcohol, or anything that will hurt their body temple.
Pictured are Lindsay(left) and Holly(right), graduating seniors in Dietetics and Nutrition, showing what fat looks like; a young man displaying his Temperance certificate; and the cover of the STANDOUT Passport.
On a side note, Dr. Gullo experienced two special moments during the conference, when she had opportunity to speak to Oprah Winfrey as she entered the Renaissance Hotel on Thursday, March 15. Then the next day, she met and shook hands with Ava DuVernay, the first Black female film director to have a film (Selma) nominated for an Academy Award.