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STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT "BLOOD & GUTS" AT ST. ALPHONSUS HEALTH FAIR St. Alphonsus Parish School held their first School Health Fair this week. Each day of the four-day event had a theme, including "Germ City Day," "Vision Testing," "Nutrition," and "Blood and Guts." The event was made possible by Group Health Community Foundation, which loaned   skeletons, rubber brains, and other interactive health-related props to the school.  Photo by Steve Shay

St. Alphonsus students enjoy "Blood and Guts" at health fair

By Steve Shay

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

St. Alphonsus Parish School held its first health fair, a four-day event celebrating good nutrition, exercise, hand washing, vision care, germ avoidance, and "Blood and Guts." That ear-catching theme boasted interactive anatomical exhibits including a healthy pig lung suspended next to an unhealthy one affected by cigarette smoking. Rubber brains, giant teeth, and human skulls fascinated students who handled them.

The April 7-10 event might become a biennial event according to Linda Broderick who organized the fair. She said it was a huge success. "Kids were oohing and aahing and we also got a positive response from their parents," said Broderick, the mother of three sons, one who graduated the school recently, and two who still attend.

She said she got the "Blood and Guts" idea from visiting a similar exhibit at last year?s International Children's Festival at the Seattle Center. Group Health Community Foundation sponsored that exhibit. "They loaned us the exhibit items for our health fair. We were only able to accept half the displays they offered us."

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