Sharing resources for health

LIHUE — Jennifer Martin got her flu shot and Cassie Livingston got to try her hand at cardiopulmonary resuscitation Wednesday.

“This was pretty hard to do,” said Livingston, a student at the King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School. “I had to put all my weight into it and press.”

Livingston was among the students who descended on Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall for the county’s annual Health and Wellness Fair. More than 40 vendors provided information and premium giveaways to guests.

“We did away with the breathing,” said Kauai Fire Department Firefighter Alan Satta, who headed the CPR training. “At one time, breathing was involved. But that was taken away. If a victim needs CPR, he’ll get it from the people responding. If he doesn’t need CPR, he’ll wake up. Once initial assessment is done, and 9-1-1 is called, go directly into pushing.”

Information ranged from tips on healthy lifestyles to elderly care and everything in between.

This included the popular Wilcox Health’s Blender Bike, where everyone took a turn at churning out a batch of smoothies.

“The fair is where as a community we share resources,” said Regina Carvalho of the Kauai County Committee on the Status of Women. “This covers healthwise — everything from eating healthy, injury prevention, and more. County of Kauai employees are allowed time to come and visit the event, and I hope whoever gets elected the next mayor will continue to offer this service to Kauai’s people.”

The marketplace of information was laced with demonstrations that included Zumba with Anna Valasco of Ho‘ola Lahui Hawaii, food presentations with recipes from Sharon Dela Pena, a nutritionist with Ho‘ola Lahui Hawaii, qi gong with Peter Sterne of the Qi Center, and closed with Anna Balazar of Barre Kauai.

The Kauai Committee on the Status of Women will next host the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on Oct. 3 in observance of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The walk, co-sponsored by the Amerian Cancer Society, will start at 11:30 a.m. at the Lihue Civic Center Moikeha Building, with warmups led by Bev Brody of Get Fit Kauai, and participants encouraged to wear pink to Get Pink On Purpose.

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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.