Right on time at 9 a.m., the North Royalton Health Fair and Family Expo began with a free pancake and sausage breakfast, courtesy of President of Council Paul Marnecheck and his crew of fellow council members, Harry Swatzlander from Royalton Schools and Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz. It was the first stop before moving on to visit a whole list of vendors.
Each person coming to the health fair received a bingo type sheet listing the vendors. For each vendor the fairgoer visited, they received a sticker to be placed on a designated square. When the fairgoer finished their sheet, they could enter for a chance to win one of the generously filled raffle baskets donated by Health Fair supporters. Danielle Lane, Trudy and Greg Operisu, Lillian Visu and Brandon Nisky were on hand to register folks and hand out door prize tickets.
The Expo’s focus was on Health and if just one person finds the appropriate resources he or she needs, it is worth all the time and effort put in by the organizers and vendors. Margie Warren, Physical Therapy Liaison for Southwest General Therapy Services and spokesperson for the event, spoke briefly, “I’m so pleased with the turn out. We need to keep the word out on health; we’ve been so cooped up with COVID.” At each of the several dozen tables, there were people with information on safety, health, health services, and products for a healthy outlook and lifestyle.
Southwest General’s North Royalton Family Practice Drs. Grace Song and Joe Bocanegra, as well as Dr. William Hahn, Women’s Health, were there with many professionals from Therapy Services to introduce themselves and answer questions. University Hospitals Parma Medical Center had a host of professionals available to answer questions and do various screenings free of charge. NR’s own Safety Services’ K-9 Officer Bear and his partner, Officer McClintic, were making friends and the PD dispatch. Angela Love and Corrections Officer Leah Peysha were on hand to answer questions.
It was unfortunate that the 5K Bear Run had to be canceled, but the Family Fun Walk carried on. Many participants in the Fun Walk enjoyed not only the fresh air and sunshine, but had their picture taken with our own NRHS Bear mascot, Gibby. Did you know Gibby has his own special light-sign in the sky like Batman? Yes, indeed, it’s called Ursa Major, the Bear, or the Big Dipper. Gibby and his helper, Craig Minnick, a junior at NRHS, passed out squishable footballs, great for exercising the hand or relieving stress.
It is well known that aroma or scent can relieve stress. Scentsy had an array of candles for sale. Kiran Sohail and her daughters, Zuhaa and Hudad, enjoyed taking in the pleasant aromas. Zuhaa liked “birthday cake,” while her younger sister, Hudad, a second grader at the new NR elementary school, liked plumeria peach.
All the other vendors on hand described their health products, services, or concepts. Some included: Yoga Revolution, Nikken Products water purification, Norwex nontoxic cleaning, Purple Skies Farm and B&B organic produce and farm shares. Innov8tive Nutrition, Shaklee, and Vital Choice Health Store. All are individually unique in offering supplementation for a healthy diet. Joe Matsko took advantage of the balance screening at OsteoStrong, a company that helps support bone and skeletal health. Joe’s son, Collin, took advantage of the information provided by Jump Yard.
Koncept Medical had products to make life easier. Various resources were available from The Gathering Place, Grace Hospice, Archangels Home Care, and Epilepsy Association. Down Syndrome of Northeastern Ohio had information and advertisements for Artful21, a unique gift shop where the products are all made by artists from all across the nation with Down Syndrome.
Everybody loves puppies, but puppies grow up into adult dogs. Lake Erie Labrador Retriever Rescue had three representatives with them: Emma, Murphy, and Miss Molly. Emma’s handler said, “When people were confined at home, everyone wanted a pet. Now, when people are traveling, they turned their dogs back into the shelters. We look for forever homes for our pups.” Gerry Hunt is the head of Healing Cause. She takes her Bernese Mountain Dog Elsa to Southwest Hospital and Metro General where this strong gentle dog offers calming visits to patients.
Another successful North Royalton Health Fair and Family Expo has come to a close. Many people were involved in planning, organizing, and bringing this event back to life. A Big Thanks to them all for keeping North Royalton healthy.

By LINDA KWARCIANY
Contributing Writer