Council on Peer Education (COPE) members (partial): Front left: Kristin Puleo (Adviser), Gwen Smith, Hayley Moniz, Nina Prenosil, Isabel Persuitte. Back left: Mia McDonald, Hannah Jury, Fiona Cioch, Lindsay Walsh, Julia Yusenko. (Photo submitted)
WESTFIELD – The Westfield High School Council on Peer Education (COPE) is hosting a Health and Wellness Fair on Wednesday, March 7 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Fiona Cioch, a student leader of COPE, which she joined four years ago as a freshman, said this will be the first year they are sponsoring the Health and Wellness Fair.
Cioch said COPE educates classmates about various topics and fundraises for causes that impact students, such as opioid abuse, cancer, melanoma awareness, and texting while driving.
“We thought there are a lot of athletes in the school, and a Health and Wellness Fair would be important for everyone. There will be exhibits on mental and physical health, and interactive demonstrations,” she said.
There are more than 50 exhibitors signed up for the fair. Included among the mental health exhibitors will be the Carson Center for Children and Youth, Families for Depression Awareness, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Among the physical health exhibitors, Cross Fit Swarm will present a Cross Fit Challenge; Fast Feet, Inc. will talk about running shoes, and Fleet Feet Sports will have Fit ID foot scanning. Roots Aquatic and Fitness Center will have exhibits on swimming and group fitness, Family Martial Arts on Taekwondo, and Holyoke Medical Center Orthopedics department on sports injuries.
Fair goers may also get a body composition analysis from Alternative Health, Inc. and a body fat analysis from the YMCA; an Iridology health assessment from Dr. Lucia Coletta, a demonstration of Reiki from All Natural Reiki, and tea samples from Honest Tea.
The Westfield Fire Department will have a fire engine, ambulance and stretcher on hand; the Westfield Health Department will talk about emergency preparedness, and the Westfield Drug Task Force will have educational information for fairgoers.
“I’m excited that we had such a response. We wanted to do it for a long time, and we’re excited to pull it together,” said Kristin Puleo, COPE and a school counselor at Westfield High School.
The 20 members of The Council on Peer Education, whom Cioch describes as “social activists,” hold events throughout the year. They held a “stuff a cruiser” drive before Thanksgiving for donations for the food pantry. They also hold an annual food drive at a local supermarket, raising $500 a year plus food donations.
COPE also held a melanoma awareness event at which students could utilize a machine to scan their skin cells. Cioch said IMPACT Melanoma will have the skin scanner at the Health and Wellness Fair on Wednesday.
For a cancer awareness fundraiser in the fall, COPE held a contest to judge which students and faculty had the best facial hair. Funds raised went to Cancer House of Hope. Another cancer awareness fundraiser benefitted Griffin’s Friends for youth with cancer. COPE also raised funds for Hurricane Maria victims through the Westfield Spanish American Association (WSAA).
The week of April 2, they are planning a Distractology program. Students that participate in the 45-minute training, which simulates driving while distracted, will receive a $15 gift card. There are only spaces available for 100 students that week; interested students may sign up at the Health & Wellness Fair, Puleo said.
While the target audience for the Health and Wellness Fair is high schoolers in grades 9-12, interested community members are also welcome to attend. Community members must enter and exit through the gymnasium where they must sign in during the hours of 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday. If school is cancelled on Wednesday, snow date for the Health and Wellness Fair will be on Thursday.
