Last weekend’s Wellness Fair and 5K Run/Walk brought out many from the Berlin Central School District community in spite of the rain. The sky-blue 5K shirts on most of the 82 participants brightened up the cloudy day at the Berlin Middle-High School.
First place in the 5K went to Berlin High School sophomore Kasey Billert, with a time of 20:10.09, and close behind was Berlin Middle-High School Social Studies teacher Mrs. Erin Rightmyer with a time of 20:18.8.
The Wellness Fair following the race offered students and community members an opportunity to talk one-on-one with mental, physical and financial wellness representatives from Rensselaer County.
The proceeds from the event went to the SMITH (Service-Merit-Integrity-Truth-Honor) Scholarship for a graduating Berlin student, given in honor of Bob Smith, a Berlin graduate and to the Sturge Weber Foundation in honor of current Berlin first grade student, Evan Arena.
The Rensselaer County Sheriff’s department offered “safe child” IDs, K-9 demonstrations, seatbelt safety and a rescue drone demonstration.
Rensselaer County Department of Health and the Department of Mental Health’s Prevention and Recovery Services were both at the fair to offer resources and literature to the community.
The students from Mrs. Sandra Honsinger’s sophomore health class provided displays on healthy relationships. Seal-A-Smile information, vision screening, and blood-pressure screenings were available as well.
Financial Health was another topic at the Wellness Fair, with representatives from Pioneer Bank and Plan Member Services available to talk about financial well-being.
At the top of each hour, Taconic Valley Youth Basketball offered “skills and drills,” and Jodi Lawliss-Corrado of Metta Physical Therapy gave BollyX and Tai Chi demonstrations.
The Wellness Fair and 5K Walk/Run was a success, and its organizers are looking forward to growing this annual event each year.