Small Town News

Over 300 families attend school-based wellness centers grand opening last week

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The Wirt County Schools Wellness Center celebrated its grand opening last Tuesday evening with a "Back to School Bash" with over 300 families in attendance. The event was held in conjunction with the primary center's and middle school's open houses, and the activities spanned two locations -at the wellness center (by the primary center and middle school) and at the high school.

Twenty-two vendors including Community Resources, the West Virginia Poison Control and RADAR, the Family Resource Network, WIC and the Tobacco Coalition, the Northern West Virginia Rural Health Education Center, Carelink, the Anwar Eye Clinic, the American Cancer Society, Safe Routes to School, Biirth to Three, the Department of Health and Human Resources and Cardiac Care all donated their time to provide information to those who attended and had free items to give away such as coloring books, whistles, pencils and more.

Tiano Knopp from the National Child Passenger Safety Car Seat program was available for child car seat inspections and the Wirt County Sheriff Department was available with a fingerprinting kit. There were over 100 people who were fingerprinted at Tuesday evening's event.

The Emergency Squad had two medical technicians and the ambulance and the fire department had four members and a fire truck at the wellness center for the grand opening. Children could talk with the emergency workers and tour the emergency vehicles. Camden Clark Hospital had

an asthma van from its respiratory therapy department there.

The balloon man was there making balloon animals and figures for the children and the kids could get their faces painted. They could also participate in sack races and use the crash simulator furnished by Dupont, and participate in a corn hole tournament. Donald Sheppard was the dj for the evening; Froggy99 was also there.

Dot Underwood, the regional representative for Gov. Joe Manchin, also attended the wellness center's grand opening. The wellness center is funded by the Sisters of St. Joseph, and one of its representatives, Sister Jane Herrington, also attended Tuesday's event.

The Wirt County chapter of Future Business Leaders of America was there to sell hotdogs and other refreshments were available.

Parents were able to sign consent forms Tuesday that will allow their children to have access to the wellness center during school hours, and students and their families were able to tour the wellness center's facility, which made them eligible to register for the 27 door prizes.

Austin Dille, Franklin Laird, Trenton Hardbarger and Katelyn Jones each won a $25 Walmart gift card; Katie Cunningham, Devin Nichols and Amber Lott each won a $20 Subway gift card; Luke Smith and Kylee Starcher each won tickets for two to The WildS; and Austin Starcher and Austin Shears both won tickets to the Columbus Zoo. Savanna Bell and Austin Westin won bikes, and Abby Farley, Megan Donaldson, Leanne Hall, Brittani Donley, Dustin Holbert

and Dwight Kirby all won bike helmets. Abby Bailey, Dakota Donley and Dakota Richards won backpacks, Christopher Lockhart won a Crayola Airbrush, Jacob Maze won sidewalk chalk, Brooklyn Taylor won an Apples to Apples game, Alex Modesitt won a Jenga game and Sarah Burton won an I POD.

All of the prizes were donated.

"I am very pleased with the grand opening's turnout," said Rose Green-burg, the outreach coordinator for the Coplin Clinic and the school-based wellness center. "Although it was extremely hot, all of the kids seemed to have a good time."

Middle school principal John McKown said he was also very pleased with the grand opening's turnout. "A vast majority of the parents in the school came out. It was nice to get to meet and greet parents and students before the start of a new school year."

Primary Center principal Dwight

Goff said the event was very well attended and the organizers put a lot of effort into providing the students" parents with a good opportunity to tour the wellness center's facility and to enjoy the company of friends and family.

Wirt County Schools Superintendent Dan Metz said that the wellness center's grand opening was a tremendous success with a lot of people coming out for it. "It gave people the opportunity to see the facility and to learn about the good things the center can do for our students."

The wellness center actually opened its doors to patients during the last school year (April 20), but the organizers wanted to promote the center with an open house at the beginning of a new school year to let more students and their families know what the center has to offer. The wellness



Copyright 2009 Wirt County Journal, Elizabeth, West Virginia. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 Wirt County Journal Elizabeth, West Virginia. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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