Scrubby Bear organizes event to raise awareness

The Georgia College chapter of the American Red Cross Scrubby Bear Program is hosting Safe and Healthy Milledgeville Day at the Milledgeville Mall April 23.

Safe and Healthy Milledgeville Day is a health and safety fair where a large variety of groups and organizations from all over Milledgeville will be participating in various activities promoting health and safety. The event is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and all activities are free to the public.

The event will take place inside and outside the Milledgeville Mall.

“We are taking over the mall,” said Will Long, senior community health major and President of Georgia College’s Scrubby Bear. “Over 20 different groups are participating in the event, and we are very excited.”

The event will promote different health issues such as oral and dental health, diabetes, mental health and some organizations will be giving information about health and life insurance. The event is for all ages; there will be inflatable bounce houses and fun activities for children as well as information and activities for students and adults. Topics such as drug abuse, fire safety and ways to avoid drinking and driving will also be discussed.

Travis Davidson, a senior community health major, will be in charge of the hand washing station, which will be set up inside the mall.

“The hand washing station will promote germ awareness,” Davidson said. “It’s amazing how many people do not wash their hands.”

Though many people do not wash their hands often it is important to maintain health.

“Hand-washing is very important, especially with all the recent outbreaks of H1N1, the flu and MRSA,” said Barbara Funke, professor and coordinator of health education and faculty advisor of Scrubby Bear.

MRSA is a bacterial infection that is highly resistant to antibiotics.

Scrubby Bear is sponsoring the event, but many other organizations are also very involved. Georgia College Public Safety, Baldwin County and Milledgeville City Fire Department, Georgia College A.N.G.E.L.S., the Milledgeville Police Department, The American Red Cross, Georgia College Association of Nursing Students, Medical Center of Central Georgia, U.S. Army, Georgia College Women’s Resource Center, Georgia State Patrol, Live Healthy Baldwin, Walgreens and Community Health Care Systems are just a number of the organizations participating in the event. The Easter Bunny will also be present at Safe and Healthy Milledgeville Day.

Fitness Plus will be offering a 10 to 15 minute Zumba class and Smiley Kids will be handing out tooth brushes. Hearing and vision testing will be taking place as well as a blood drive and sac races and hula-hoop contests. A LifeFlight helicopter will also be present at the event, weather and status permitting.

Scrubby Bear is a nationwide American Red Cross Program that teaches germ awareness and proper hand-washing techniques to children and adults. Scrubby Bear is focused on the community of Baldwin County and specifically in local elementary school and day care programs. It has been inactive for the past three years, but they are back on campus now and ready to get involved again.

“This event is a great way for Scrubby Bear to jump back into the community,” Funke said.

Posted by Taylor Lamb on Apr 21 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.