Many Mercyhurst clubs and departments are working together on this year’s annual Wellness Fair.

The Wellness Fair aims to provide students with knowledge about healthy habits and self-care practices.

Educational demonstrations at the fair include yoga techniques, hand sanitizer effectiveness, aerobic fitness and anaerobic fitness.

Sarah Allen, director of Student Engagement and Leadership Development, explained that they want to “give students the opportunity to take what they have learned and apply it.”

The event will offer activities such as a free, healthy lunch, massages, a labyrinth, stress balloons and trail mix.

The fair is not only meant to educate, but also to engage students, faculty and staff on campus with local resources.

Students will have access to measurements for blood pressure, body mass index, body composition, flexibility, functional movement, pulse oximeter and muscular strength.

Certified therapy dogs, including the Mercyhurst Counseling Center’s therapy dog-in-training Bailey and his brother
Bert, will attend the event.

The event will “establish an interdisciplinary approach and connect student life and academics through collaboratively presenting this event,” Allen said.

To do this, various clubs, organizations and departments on campus were invited to participate in the event.

Student organizations participating in the event are Active Minds Mercyhurst, Athletic Training, Iota Tao Alpha, Garden Gurus, Green Team, Mercyhurst Mentors and the Sports Medicine Student Association.

Offices and departments participating include Campus Ministry, the Career Development Center, the Counseling Center, the dance department, the Multicultural Center, the public health department, Residence Life, Parkhurst Dining Services and the Center for Student Engagement and Leadership Development.

“The Wellness Fair is an opportunity for students, offices and departments across campus to collaborate,” said Allen. “This event truly embraces experiential learning, as it allows students to demonstrate what they have learned in the classroom in order to teach others.”

The first 100 students at the fair will receive a gift bag consisting of donations from Highmark, the Red Cross and PNC Bank. Prizes donated by LECOM, Highmark and the YMCA will be raffled off as well.

Executive Director of Wellness Judy Smith, Ph.D., recognizes the importance of the fair and encourages students to attend.

“Cultivating our health and wellness require life-long habits and skills, and the college years are a terrific time to start to build them,” she said. “I hope all the students take the time to stop by the Health Fair – it is a fun, informative, hands-on way to increase personal wellness.”

The Wellness Fair will take place Friday, March 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Carolyn Herrmann Student Union Great Room.