A Valley Tradition: Mark Your Calendars for Oct. 14!

(Please read and share this New Haven Register story about my free senior health and wellness fair on Oct. 14 – thank you!)

Lawmaker keeps annual health fair going for seniors, with pandemic changes

ANSONIA — A Valley tradition for more than three decades, the senior health and wellness fair at Warsaw Park will happen again this year, but with big changes in the name of safety.

While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of numerous events, state Sen. George Logan, R-Ansonia, who currently holds the event for his 17th District, said the fair is too important for older residents to completely shut down.

The free fair won’t take place in the traditional way, inside the building at Warsaw Park, lined with dozens of vendors, but Logan instead will offer it as a drive-through event on Oct. 14.

“Our seniors are a vulnerable population and we don’t want to shut them out of receiving the important resources they deserve,” Logan said Friday. “So many events had to be canceled this year, and we didn’t want to cancel this one.”

Logan released a teaser video on YouTube this week, announcing the event.

“Mark your calendars,” Logan said. “We will have all kinds of health and wellness resources and information, and a raffle, too. I’m looking forward to see you all there.”

The fair is set for 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 14 at Warsaw Park, 119 Pulaski Highway. 

Seniors residing in the 17th District, which includes Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck and Woodbridge, are welcome to attend.

While there will be no flu shots or other health screenings offered as in years past, Logan will have “fun-filled goody bags” for all stuffed with important information and vital resources to help seniors.

Seniors who attend will need to wear masks and remain in their cars while they drive through the event to receive their goody bags, which will be placed in the back seat of their cars.

Logan said the first 100 cars to attend will receive a box of food, including fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy items, courtesy of the USDA Farmers to Family Food Box program, which was created in response to the pandemic.

Everyone who attends also will receive free face masks.

The popular fair was started by former longtime state Sen. Joe Crisco more than 30 years ago as a way to keep Valley seniors and others residing in the 17th District armed with important information to keep them healthy.

As Crisco’s successor, Logan has been carrying on the tradition because arming seniors with vital information — from avoiding phone scams and becoming victims of identity theft to eye and oral health — is beneficial to their well-being.

Derby resident Roberta Getlein has been a fan of the fair since Crisco started it, and plans on attending again this year.

“I find it to be very informative about what is available for seniors in the community and sometimes you also get immediate answers to questions regarding issues,” she said.

Derby Senior Center Executive Director Christine Sonsini agreed the fair is a great resource.

“I think that the event is very important for seniors because it connects them with resources that they may not know are available to them … and resources that they may need in the future,” Sonsini said.

For more information about the fair, contact Peggy Tibbals at 860-240-8884 or by email [email protected].

https://www.nhregister.com/valley/article/Lawmaker-keeps-annual-health-fair-going-for-15617599.php