This summer IHEC/AHEC partnered with a variety of health and community organizations to offer three health fairs in the Chicago area. Each fair addressed the unique needs of the local community and offered health screenings and information to the participants.

St. Mark Health Fair - The 9th annual St. Mark Health Fair and newly added Health Career Expo was an astounding success. Over 400 participants attended the July 8 event where participants were offered mammograms, immunizations, cholesterol screenings, spirometry , dental, vision, blood pressure screenings, and nutrition screenings.

The St. Mark Health Fair continues to grow every year because the community looks forward to this annual event. “The people know that IHEC really cares about their health, not only as individuals, but the health of their family, friends and the community as a whole,” Dorothy Calhoun, project coordinator, said.

Congressman Jessie L. Jackson, Jr. (second from left), 2 nd Congressional District of Illinois was impressed with the fair and expressed his pleasure in seeing the health career component added to the fair. He spoke with students attending about the many exciting opportunities available to them in health careers.

Horsemen's Health Fair - Arlington Park Race Course was the site for the June 5 th and 6 th Horsemen's Health Fair, a Fair targeting all licensed horsemen and their dependents living on the backstretch. Over 400 predominately Hispanic people registered to attend the Fair which offered a variety of screenings, refreshments, children's activities, and prizes.

This community service and research project is and initiative of the EXPORT Center for Excellence in Rural Health at the University of Illinois-Rockford and other partners including IHEC.