A group of dancers pursue their fitness goals at the April R. Love Community Wellness Fair Saturday afternoon.
The April Love Foundation held its second annual April R. Love Community Wellness Fair today in Hope. Just as promised on its flyer, those arriving could receive health screenings, give blood, dance to music from a DJ, win prizes and have a grilled chicken dinner.
Named for their late daughter April R. Love, the foundation is administered by Magigor and Ira Love and, along with its health fairs and COVID-mask giveaways, has given scholarships to Hope High graduates and has helped clean up and maintain St. Peter Cemetery near the Ozan community.
Magigor Love said organizing today's event was definitely a job but the results were gratifying: "It was well-intentioned for the purpose of getting our community out to promote healthy fitness. And we've got some wonderful partners as far as with the activity, the nutrition."
She also said the wellness fair is in keeping with her late daughter April's aspirations. "She was very health conscious, very fit. And she was active in extracurricular activities here in the Hope community. And then when she went off to college, she was also active like that, but one of her aspirations was to become an attorney, and formulate a non profit to help those who had no voice for them.
"That's why we asked people to come out bring information and we have some wonderful fliers from the Minority Health Commission, because in our communities, we have a lot of additional health problems."
Love also mentioned that her goal for the day was to exceed last year's number of donors of blood. "We are challenging everybody because last year we exceeded our goal of 16. So we're about four from getting the 16 that we need to meet our goal. So I'm confident that we're gonna exceed it again, because I enjoy partnering with LifeShare."
Ira Love was gratified to learn that 52 signers had been registered as of the noon hour, with two more hours to go in the event. "Everybody's enjoying themselves. Free food. Great food. Great camaraderie, a lot of volunteers, so everything is going very well," he said.
Under an awning just west of the old Bud White convenience store building, a number of vendors and services had set up their displays to provide that information. Nurses from Hope Public Schools were doing vision screenings. Popcorn and snow cones were being served. Kindred Healthcare was present. One table was occupied by the Hempstead County chapter of the NAACP whose representatives were signing up new members. Another, from The Benefits Solutions Group, offered information about Medicare supplemental, Advantage and other forms of insurance. Another, from Lifecare Blood Centers, recruited people to give blood inside the Bud White building. Another, staffed by Pafford Emergency Services and city and county police, gave visitors literature for children and adults about what they do.
On the north end of the awning tent was the lunch service table. After earning a star for going through a medical screening, you were served a grilled chicken thigh-leg with a grilled hot dog, grilled baked potato and salad. The grilled chicken and dogs were courtesy of grillers Kirk Gray and Tracy Ford. Hempstead County Farmers Bureau provided the grill.
At about 12:30, a group of dancers began to move to the sounds of Little Nas, providing an example of what we should all be doing to guard our health.
Hope City Director Reginald Easter displays a shirt with a design promoting LifeShare Blood Services.
Ira Love, parent of April R. Love and founder of the foundation bearing her name stands next to a table of prizes to be given away at the event.
