Healthy Thinking Promoted at Community Fair at Tinton Falls School

Pouring rain couldn't put a damper on Thursday night's Community Health Fair at the Mahala F. Atchison School.

A biennial event that brings together many groups who dedicate themselves to the health of the community, the health fair is the brain child of teacher Ed Davis, who spearheaded the event with his fellow MFA health and physical education teacher, Lynne Landis.

The pair invited almost 30 different groups--including orthodontists, dieticians, Tinton Falls EMS and the American Heart Association--to share healthy tips and services with the community.  The event has grown each time it has been held starting at the Swimming River School 14 years ago.

There were plenty of things to do or try at the fair. Registered nurses from Meridian Health Care took visitor's blood pressure and performed finger pricks to check blood sugar and cholesterol level at the Riverview Medical Center tables.

Tinton Falls resident Jackie Rento who is a distributor of Juice Plus--a line of concentrated fruit and vegetable capsules--said she found the evening to be the perfect way to reach out to the community.  “I love the opportunity of the health fair to spread the word about the benefits of Juice Plus,” she said.

Ed White, also of Tinton Falls, was manning a table with two of his four sons.  In 1988, Ed was diagnosed with a serious liver disease which became acute in 2006 and he was fortunate to receive a new liver in September of 2008.  White and his sons were representing the American Liver Foundation and the New Jersey Organ Sharing Network and encouraged people to become organ donors.  Without the generosity of his liver donor, Ed said he would not be here to see his boys grow up or coach their baseball teams.

Also present last night was the New Jersey Dance Center of Tinton Falls who performed several dance routines much to the delight of the crowd.  The dancers based their performances on the notion hat physical activity is a major component to good health.