LIHU‘E — Healthy aging can be fun as demonstrated the several hundred people that flowed through the 2009 Kaua‘i PrimeTime Wellness Fair, Thursday at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall. “My grandson said he wants to visit my nurse,” said
LIHU‘E — Healthy aging can be fun as demonstrated the several hundred people that flowed through the 2009 Kaua‘i PrimeTime Wellness Fair, Thursday at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall.
“My grandson said he wants to visit my nurse,” said Naoko Ho, one of the volunteers. “I had my flu shot and the nurse who did it was so good, I didn’t know when it was over.”
The line for flu shots administered by ISI Health Enhancement Services was a large draw for the event, sponsored through the efforts of First Hawaiian Bank, the county’s Agency on Elderly Affairs and Clinical Laboratories of Hawai‘i.
“The county was real good because they had buses bring the seniors in from Kekaha and the North Shore,” said Leland Kahawai of First Hawaiian Bank. “And because there are several vendors offering free blood pressure screening and glucose and cholesterol testing, there aren’t that many lines.”
Geared for people 50 years and older, the flu shots were free to those who could produce a medical card, said one of the registrars at the line of people waiting to be immunized.
Herman Paleka and the singing strings of the Lihu‘e Senior Center Ukulele Class made that wait a little more pleasant.
Other meandered and browsed through the more than 30 vendors offering a variety of services geared toward the needs of people over 50 years old.
With First Hawaiian Bank as a major sponsor in the event, browsers had an opportunity to fill the plastic shopping bag with a variety of giveaways and premiums at almost every stop, First Hawaiian taking up key positions with a variety of fun games that enabled clients’ cache of premiums to grow even more.
“Jan Hatada and Cindy Ing of Honolulu worked closely with Diane Rapozo to make this happen,” Kahawai said. “If you think the people are having fun now, wait until the Bingo starts.”
This is the fifth year PrimeTime has offered the wellness fair here, said Janice Bond of the East Kaua‘i Lions Club.