Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
BOBBIE JARESKY of Ironwood, Barbara Valle of Montreal, Liana Sarri of Hurley, and Denise Enking of Hurley speak with Pat Gallinagh and Crystal Suzik, seated from left, of the Range Suicide Prevention Council at their booth during the Across the Borders health fair on the Iron Belle Trail in Ironwood, Tuesday.
By Charity Smith
Hurley - The annual Across the Borders community health fair returned to the Iron Belle Trail Tuesday. The annual event provides a way for residents to gather information on resources available to the aging in the community, while getting some exercise by walking the Iron Belle Trail from Hurley to Ironwood.
Twenty-seven vendors representing a variety of organizations, governmental agencies and local businesses which provide various services to the elderly set up tables along the trail. Some of the public walked through starting at the Depot Park in Ironwood, while others began on the west end, begining at the trailhead in Hurley. They were able to stroll down the trail at their leisure during a two-hour fair and stop and talk to the various vendors.
"I'm glad it's back, we haven't had it for two years and we used to come every year," said Bobbie Jaresky of Ironwood. "You get information on so many different things and different programs that are available. A lot of people don't realize what we have here. We are all going to use it one day."
Trista Olson, manager at the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the North's Iron County branch, said they hold the event every year on June 21 because the Alzheimer's Association asks that people hold events related to the disease that day - the summer solstice - to shine light upon the disease on the day with the most daylight. Olson said Alzheimer's Association aim for the day is to recognize the people who are suffering from the disease as well as their caregivers.
Olson added that June is also Elder Abuse Awareness month.
Olson said she came up with the idea in 2018 after hearing about how the city of Antigo, Wisconsin, held its annual health fair on a trail.
"We thought what a good way to promote not only the trail but health and wellness and resources for seniors in our community," said Olson.
Olson said she thought this year's event went well and was well received. It provided the community with a lot of great information and good resources for both counties, she said. She estimated that they had around 100 people walk the trail back and forth during the event. She said that attendance was slightly down from previous years, but blamed the warm weather. She said they've had 150 people walking the trail in previous years.
"It's great," Denise Enking of Hurley said of the event. "It's a lot of information. It focuses on seniors and Alzheimer's, and mental health is a very important thing. It's good to get out and be in the community."
"Good Resources. We need this in our community," added her friend Liana Saari of Hurley. "We find out what services are available in our community."
Some of the agencies participating were the Ironwood Public Safety Department, Gogebic Range Health Foundation, DOVE, Range Suicide Prevention Council, Aspirus, Gogebic Range Medical Care Facility, Regional Hospice, Iron County Human Services, Gogebic County Human Services and ICORE.
