After a year’s absence, the North Royalton Health Fair and Family Expo is back. Mark it on your calendars, set the date on your phones, for the eleventh annual North Royalton Health Fair and Family Expo, Saturday, September 25, from 8 a.m. to noon located at the brand-new North Royalton High School, located on 14713 Ridge Rd., and emceed by NRHS English teacher Jonathan Dietrich.
The event begins at 8 a.m. with a free pancake and sausage breakfast, courtesy of NR President of Council, Paul Marnecheck.
Breakfast will fortify donors making personal deposits at the blood bank during the Vitalant Blood Drive taking place during the expo.
Pancakes are also a great way to fuel up for the 9 a.m. 5K Bear Run; it could help you win a prize; or put a zing in your step on the one-mile Wellness Walk with Dr. Kutaiba Tabbaa, Pain Management Specialist for UH Parma Medical Center. There will also be Family Bear Walk with interactive stations along the way.
During this time, University Hospitals Parma Medical Center and Southwest General will be offering Free screening for scoliosis, blood pressure, audiology, balance, pain, bone density, non-fasting glucose, and cholesterol, plus injury and stroke assessment. There will be more than fifty tables of information and help from many Northeast Ohio health and wellness organizations on all sorts of important health topics.
Southwest General will introduce fair goers to their Healing Paws Therapy Dogs and Lake Erie Labrador Retriever Rescue will also come out. Our own top dog, K9 Officer Bear, with his partner, Officer McClintic, with be available to speak with visitors. The NR police and fire departments will be on hand to answer any health and safety question; and a 911 simulator with SWEDC dispatcher will be able to demonstrate what happens when you do have an emergency and call 9-1-1.
Jumpyard’s mascot and North Royalton Schools’ bear mascot, Gibby, will have you jumping for joy. In the past, Expo attendees have said:
“It’s a good place to get up-to-date and know what’s happening in your body.” Another attendee said, “The goal has always been to make a positive difference in my or someone else’s life.”
The raffle baskets and drawings make getting serious information fun instead of a chore.
The Vitalant Blood Drive will be going on from 8 a.m. until Noon, and a registration is requested. To register, go to www.vitalant.org/ohiodonorportal. The process is easy you don’t really have to be brave, you just need a caring heart. In 2017, 88-year-old Carl Flanik proudly donated his 156th pint of O positive blood. Another donor stated, “It’s far less painful than a shot. There is such a need now in particular to donate. Give a pint.”
There is a $20 registration fee for the 5K Bear Run. Please dress for the weather. There is also a food drive to benefit the NR food pantry, as non- perishable food items are always in need.
Save date for the 2021 North Royalton Health Fair and Family Expo on Saturday, September 25, from 8 a.m. – Noon, at the new North Royalton High School, located at 14713 Ridge Road.

By LINDA KWARCIANY
Contributing Writer