Each year, the City of Milwaukee Health Department and partners welcome thousands of children and families to the annual Back-to-School Health Fairs for free immunizations, health screenings and other services such as blood lead tests and vision screenings. A robust resource fair provides families with information about local recreational, social, and health services—and there are always fantastic freebies/giveaways, too! Plus, every so often, a mascot or special guest surprises visitors—I’ve met BMO’s Hubert the Lion and Clifford while staffing our resource table. Last year, I hung out with Leroi Butler!
Thanks to Children’s Health and Hospital System, UWGMWC has been a proud supporter of these very important fairs since 2011—and the presenting sponsor since 2014. This is an easy choice for us; the fairs are aligned with to two of our core impact pillars: health and education. When children have their health needs met—when they are immunized, when they receive glasses, when they don’t have tooth pain, they are better able to learn and more likely to succeed in school. The Back to School Health Fairs are a one-stop-shop for addressing such issues before the semester starts.
For me, meeting the kids and families is always the best part. Kids get really excited about free sunglasses, pencils, or stickers, and the parents seem pretty happy to get the latest Let’s Talk Toolkit.
Please stop by the United Way table in the resource room to say hello and pick up some great information about local services, talking with your kids about health and sexuality, sun safety, and more!
2017 Back to School Health Fair information:
10am to 3pm
North Division High School
1011 W. Center St.. Milwaukee
Friday, August 11, 2017
10am to 3pm
Hayes Bilingual School
971 W. Windlake Avenue, Milwaukee