Wellness Fair set for Wednesday

The Southeast Missourian's first Wellness Fair is set for 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday in the J.C. Penney court of West Park Mall, 3049 William St.

Directed toward adults and seniors, 15 participants are expected, said Paul Walker, medical marketing strategist at the Missourian. A variety of specialties and screenings will be available -- from a firm that offers a personal emergency response system to answering dental questions and grip testing.

Some booths will offer information, and others, procedures with an eye toward increasing health awareness and disease prevention and motivating the public to make positive health behavior changes, Walker said.

Advertising manager Donna Denson said good health is extremely important, particularly as people age, so it was felt a wellness fair would be a "wonderful, free service to provide the community."

The idea developed from a discussion Walker had with Dr. Hugh Protzel of Southeast Missouri Foot and Ankle. "From there it was a matter of approaching others in the medical community and related services," Walker said in an email.

Since this is the first wellness fair for the Missourian, Walker said it's difficult to predict attendance. "For those folks in the area who have questions about their health, this will be a great place to find pertinent information," he said.

Denson said she fully expects the newspaper to host future wellness fairs. Input will be sought from this year's vendors and attendees on how things went.

Pertinent address:

3049 William St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.