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WATERTOWN — To stay in tune with their health, nearly 1,000 north country seniors flooded the McVean Student Center at Jefferson Community College for the annual Senior Health and Wellness Fair.
Co-hosted by State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, and the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, the fair featured free lunch and music, as well as tables sponsored by local hospitals and clinics, insurance companies, hospice and end-of-life services and many more businesses. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department was also on hand to help seniors safely dispose of expired or unwanted prescription drugs.
The most popular attraction was the Kinney Drugs booth, offering free flu and pneumonia shots — available with Medicare Plan B or insurance identification.
Jeff J. Kirkby, the supervising pharmacist at Kinney Drugs on Coffeen Street, said the pharmacy has been affiliated with the health fair for several years because of the access it gives seniors.
“It’s a great way to meet people in the community who may not be patients of ours or of anyone, so it’s front-line, one-on-one access,” he said.
Outside of the shots, Mary D. Sheltray, 70, said she attends the fair every year because of the convenience of having many providers in one spot.
“I’m so glad they have the fair,” she said. “It’s great to be able to talk to people about any health problems and get the information they have for us.”
Throughout the day, Sen. Ritchie was shuttling between serving popcorn, helping vendors and speaking with community members. She said when noting this year’s strong attendance, her team made an effort to bring other towns to the fair.
“Before, the people that came in were from the immediate Watertown area, but this year we tried harder on transportation options to get people in other towns here, and there have been a lot of people from other parts of Jefferson County here for the first time,” she said.
Between performances by the Watertown High School Wind Ensemble, Mrs. Ritchie presented two citizens with the 2018 Senior of the Year Award for their dedication to volunteer work and community involvement. Ida Alteri was recognized for her involvement in numerous organizations, including the Italian American Civic Association. Dr. David Van Eenenaam was also awarded, for his 40 years at the North Country Orthopedic Group as an orthopedic surgeon.
Sen. Ritchie said she wants to reach as many north country seniors with this event as possible to make sure they’re aware of the services the community offers.
“To see this many people take the time to come out and want to make their health a priority shows just how important this event is each year,” she said. “The opportunity for seniors to learn the latest health and wellness information from their local community partners is critical to their well-being.”
Next week, the fair will be held at the Oswego County Highway Department in Scriba on Oct. 11. Full details on the event can be found on the senator’s website at www.ritchie.nysenate.gov.
Article source: http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/annual-watertown-senior-health-and-wellness-fair-has-high-turnout-video-20181006