McLaren Northern Michigan, the regional health care provider for 22 northern Michigan counties, has brought back the Children’s Health Fair for its 30th year, the event’s first since 2019.
Parents and children of all ages are welcome to Petoskey Middle School on Sat., April 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the free, fun — and healthy — event.
“We have been eagerly anticipating the day when we could bring this event back, and now that the time has come, we could not be more excited,” said Jennifer Collison, McLaren Northern Michigan obstetric and pediatric nurse manager. “For decades, this event has been a tradition for local families, and we are confident that there will be something fun for everyone to enjoy. It is a great opportunity to engage children in healthy habits and provide parents with various resources that are available in our community.”
The event is highlighted by the fun, family-centric environment, but also supports an atmosphere that will impart parents with best practices in order to keep their children safe and healthy while they maintain active childhoods. Many of the events, including the Super Hero Fun Run, incorporate participation from both parent and child.
“It is part of the fabric of our organization to be community-focus and provide for the health and wellbeing of our region both inside our facilities and out in the neighborhood,” said Gar Atchison, McLaren Northern Michigan President and CEO. “Providing health care professionals with this level of knowledge and experience to this event is a worthy undertaking and one we are proud to commit to.”
A petting zoo, prize drawings, various crafts, first responder vehicles and other hands-on entertainment are featured at the live music-enhanced event.
Several McLaren Northern Michigan care services will be in attendance to share knowledge with parents: obstetrics, emergency and trauma medicine, stroke, pediatric rehabilitation, and Karmanos Cancer Institute.
Also generously volunteering their time will be representatives from various local agencies, including: Northern Michigan Community Childhood Development Center, Geeks, Gears, & Gadgets (Petoskey Middle School Robotics team), Concord Academy, Char-Em ISD Early Education & Great Start Collaborative, Char-Em ISD Early Childhood Program, Therapy Solutions, Boyne Area Gymnastics, Petoskey Library, Pregnancy Care Center, Women's Resource Center, United Way, Charlevoix Community Pool, Crooked Tree Wellness Clinic, North Country Community Mental Health, MDHHS, Petoskey Pediatric Dentistry, Child Abuse and Prevention Education (CAPE), NCMC Child Care Initiative, and NCMC Student Nurse Association.
Lunch is provided at a $2 donation per plate.
Petoskey Middle School is located at 801 Northmen Drive, near East Mitchell Road and South Division Road.
More information on the 30th Annual Children’s Health Fair can be obtained by calling (231) 487-3115.
About McLaren Northern Michigan
McLaren Northern Michigan is a 202-bed regional referral center located in Petoskey, serving residents in 22 counties across northern Lower Michigan and the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula. More than 230 physicians represent nearly all medical and surgical specialties, enabling full-service care with an emphasis on cardiology, cancer, orthopedics and neurosciences. McLaren Northern Michigan is a certified Primary Stroke Center, as designated by the Joint Commission. The hospital has a network of primary care providers and specialty care clinics throughout the region, and an outpatient surgery center in Cheboygan. Learn more at mclaren.org/northernmichigan.
About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $6.6 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 13 hospitals in Michigan, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 640-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 732,838 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers. McLaren has 28,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 113,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org.