Families and individuals from near and far came out in droves to Be More Healthy on Saturday, May 21st at the foot of the Seal Beach pier. Visitors and locals alike took in fitness and dancing demonstrations, 51 vendors and the recognition of three hometown heroes, nominated over the past two months.
The opening ceremony, MC’d by Rosie Ritchie of American Beachside Realty, featured the National Anthem, followed by a tribute to our Armed Forces and Veterans and the announcement of HomeTown Hero winners Brian Kyle, Seal Beach local & community supporter, Jim Whitaker, Seal Beach local and active Lion and Annelle Aviani-Baum, CatPAWS founder.
Leading this year’s Be More Healthy Expo was event Chair Diana Bean, a health and lifestyle coach, along with Co-Chairs Nikki Muller of It Takes a Village Senior Care and Martha Gonzalez with MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
There was plenty to see and do, including free on-the-spot health screenings for diabetes and thyroid, carotid artery, blood pressure and body mass index assessments. The first 500 participants received gift bags, the Seal Beach Lion’s Club gave away free reading glasses, and 75 lucky kids took home free bike helmets with a fitting, courtesy of MemorialCare Millers Children’s Hospital.
The Kids Zone, manned by Seal Beach Leos and led by Frank Carvajal, American Beachside Realty provided plenty of exercise and fun for youngsters, including a bounce house obstacle course, face painting, balloon toss, tug of war, hula hoop, 3-legged race and hand-stand contests, and free GoGo Squeeze apple sauce.
Demonstrations throughout the day included Beach Fitness, Kangoo Jumps, Intro to Skateboarding and Esencia Flamenco Dance Company ended the event with a vibrant mother/daughter dance routine accompanied by a live singer and acoustic guitar.
“It was heartwarming to see so many smiling, happy visitors, residents, and healthcare professionals come together again in the name of health and wellness,” said Bean. “This year’s Expo was our most successful to date, and we owe it all to our awesome vendors, volunteers and sponsors,” she concluded.
The 2022 Be More Healthy Expo is a Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce event and could not take place without the support of their generous sponsors, including title sponsor Optum; MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital; Repair Sports Institute; Financial Partners; Republic Service; Golden Outlook; Oaxaca, Ong & Jensen; Beach Fitness; and Boeing.
For more information about the Be More Healthy Expo, go to www.sealbeachhealthexpo.com.
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