Archives > Plano Star-courier > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Fair addresses health needs for PISD students
By Jon Vanderlaan, jvanderlaan@acnpapers.com
Vines High School hosted the second-annual community health fair for the central cluster on Saturday, adding dental checks, haircuts and a clothes closet for parents and children to take part in.
Lynda Shuttlesworth, executive coordinator of family education and guidance services with Plano ISD, said the community health fair was a place the district could help parents address the needs of children who had just settled into their first week of school.
The fair hosted about 1,200 people last year, said Director of Counseling and Guidance Paul Weaver, but the district was anticipating more this year and had 500 people walk through the doors in just the first 30 minutes.
He said the people who came to the fair were appreciative of the services offered and of events for the children such as face painting.
“It’s just a great privilege to serve our community and to offer these services for our families,” Weaver said.
Shuttlesworth said people started lining up outside the doors of the high school at about 7:15 a.m., almost two hours before the event was scheduled to start.
Dominick Hunter, an eighth-grader at Frankford Middle School, came to the health fair for a sports physical.
His father, Dominick Sr., said even with the crowd, he thought it was good the district had an event planned like the fair.
“I think it’s really cool, because people need stuff like that,” he said. “Not everyone can afford to go to the doctor.”
Sandra Shelton, whose daughter Shironica took a sports physical to try out for basketball at Williams High School, said it is a great opportunity to take advantage of something that is free.
“I think it’s beneficial for the community to help out,” she said. “All of that is good, because there’s so many people that can’t afford insurance.”
Despite advertising immunizations at the fair, Shuttlesworth said the county ran out of vaccines and informed the district on Thursday it would not be able to attend the fair.
She said as an alternative, the organizers at the fair created a map to a Dallas school which offered immunizations.
The school, understanding the problem, was willing to accept any Plano children seeking immunizations, Shuttlesworth said.
Just as people were eager to take advantage of the free services, she said the vendors were equally as excited to take part in the event.
Shuttlesworth said even some vendors who did not participate in the previous year’s event called to inquire about helping because they heard about the event from others.
The district hosted the fair a week after school started so it could advertise with students and on the district website, she said, while still being able to help parents and students have all they need for the school year before it gets too late in the year.
Weaver said although many Plano ISD employees worked at the event, it would not have been possible without the volunteers who set up tables the day before the fair.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
