Community events to raise Sickle Cell awareness
After losing her younger brother and cousin to Sickle Cell anemia, Alfreida Robins of Travail with Us has set out to raise awareness for the disease with two free community events. A Sickle Cell Awareness Walk and picnic will be held Wednesday. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. at 5429 Broadway at the offices of Travail with Us. The walk will take place at 9 a.m. at Hidden Lake Park, 6355 Broadway, Merrillville, followed by a community picnic. A free community dinner will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Chateau Banquet Hall, 530 W. 61st Ave., Merrillville. While the event has no cost, registration is required by calling 219-810-6264, Ext. 103. During the dinner, Robins and her team will be honoring six young people who are currently battling Sickle Cell anemia. For more information, call 219-777-0279.
Ivy Tech launches new mobile learning unit
Ivy Tech Community College will formally unveil their new mobile Learning Lab + at a ribbon cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. Wednesday on the Valparaiso campus, 3100 Ivy Tech Drive. The event is free of charge and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Space is limited. The new Learning Lab + offers an interactive classroom space for students across Northwest Indiana to learn in the comfort of their communities. Classes and courses offered in the space will vary throughout the academic school year. The Learning Lab + development began in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College and Center for Workforce Innovations, a leading multi-management nonprofit workforce development organization in Northwest Indiana. More information is with Patti Shields at pshields13@ivytech.edu or 219-476-4775.
Northwest Indiana Earth Day celebration
The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County will host its 16th annual Earth Day celebration from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 E. Division Road, Valparaiso. The event is free to the public and will feature an array of vendors, wildlife shows, a magician performance, interactive children’s games, guest speakers, birdhouse building, Working Bikes, live music, food, SecureShred, Reuse Fair, electric vehicles on display and giveaways. The theme for this year is “Planet vs. Plastics.” The first 250 attendees will receive a free reusable bag. Schools will showcase their creativity during the Rain Barrel Design Contest for cash prizes. Earth Day attendees will vote on their favorite barrel. Contest winners will be announced at 1 p.m. at the event. Promote “Reuse” and keep items out of the landfill by donating to organizations in need at the Reuse Fair. The Reuse Fair connects participating non-profit organizations and schools that request supplies with community members who have items they no longer want. Donations will be divided amongst benefitting organizations based on wish lists. Attendees are asked to drop off donations from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Donations must be clean and in good condition. Donation wish lists and more information can be found at https://portercountyrecycling.org/earth-day/.
IU Northwest to host Spring Community Wellness Fair
Indiana University Northwest College of Health and Human Services will host the 2024 Spring Community Wellness Fair from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the Savannah Center gymnasium and Moraine Student Center on campus, 3400 Broadway, Gary. Parking is free and attendees will receive a free smoothie. The fair is open to the public. Methodist Hospitals, Community HealthNet and Marram Health will offer free health screenings, including: blood pressure checks; BMI checks; heart attack and stroke risk assessments; HIV screenings; hepatitis C screenings; behavioral health screenings; and dental screenings. Free blood tests include A1C; blood glucose; cholesterol, HDL, LDL (12-hour fast required); and PSA for men. Free COVID-19 vaccines also will be available. Those who receive a vaccine during the event will receive a $25 Strack & VanTil grocery gift card. Attend a health presentation from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in the Moraine Student Center, “Healthy Aging, Anxiety and Healthy Lifestyles.” Workforce development, housing and other community resources also will be available. For more information and/or to register for a health screening or blood test, visit: https://methodisthospitals.org/event/spring-community-wellness-fair-2/. For questions, contact Patricia Johnson at johnspat@iun.edu.
Franciscan WorkingWell to host direct-to-employer solutions luncheon
Franciscan WorkingWell is hosting a free, informative luncheon to help attendees learn more about employer-based health and wellness programs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 24 at Sand Creek Country Club, 1001 Sand Creek Drive, Chesterton. Check-in is from 11 a.m. to Noon; lunch will be served from Noon to 1 p.m. Luncheon topics include advanced primary care/employer-sponsored clinics, cost-saving medical models, HEALTHeACCESS, WorkingWell, advanced imaging and HEALTHeLIFESTYLE. Attendees have the chance to win a $50 Visa gift card or a gift basket that includes a Cuisinart tabletop fire pit. The event is free, but registration is required by Monday. Register by contacting Melissa Wood at 219-877-2143 or melissa.olsch@franciscanalliance.org.
Dunes Learning Center presents wellness workshops
Dunes Learning Center (DLC) is offering wellness workshops to the community this spring. A Women’s Wellness Retreat will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 25 at 700 Howe Road, Chesterton. Cynthia Smith, the host, has been a meditation and restorative yoga teacher for more than 25 years. She will guide this day of self-care with gentle yoga stretching, sound meditation, mindful tea, forest bathing and journaling. The cost is $75 per person, with snacks and lunch provided by DLC. Smith will return to DLC for a fully guided practice in the art of Forest Bathing from 1 to 4 p.m. May 19. Forest Bathing has been proven to provide many benefits for the spirit, mind and body. This workshop is open to all ages 18 and older, with a cost of $35 per person. More information can be found at https://duneslearningcenter.org/programs.
