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Physical health and well-being will be the focus of an upcoming wellness event being presented by Epic Opportunities.

Scheduled to take place Tues., Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Sturgeon Heights Community Centre, the Epic Opportunities Wellness Event will offer information and demonstrations on a wide range of topics including nutrition, exercise, medication, relaxation techniques and health services. Admission to the event will be free of charge to anyone served by Epic Opportunities.

Director Karen Hannem says the aim of the event is to encourage people supported by the agency to learn more about physical well-being and how to achieve their best possible health and wellness.

“The whole purpose is to share with people different resources that help contribute to a person’s overall physical well-being including exercise, nutrition, healthy sleep patterns, medications and regular medical follow-up,” says Hannem, a member of Epic Opportunities’ Holistic Wellness Committee.

“Not only do we want people to have the information and be able to experience some of these things first-hand, we also want to be able to provide them with information about where they can find these things in their communities.”

A number of community-based agencies and businesses are scheduled to take part in the event including St.Amant, which will be represented by a registered dietician, and Tache Pharmacy, which will provide free consultations with a pharmacist about medications and vitamins. There will also be a presentation on women’s health issues as well as a series of demonstrations on activities such as Zumba dance fitness and yoga.

“Everyone that we’ve asked if they want to be part of this has said they are very excited to be part of this. Everyone was quite open to being part of it and thought it was an excellent idea,” Hannem says, adding attendees will be able to spend as much or as little time at each station as they want.

Manager Clarissa Tibay, who also sits on the Holistic Wellness Committee, says while the event is meant to be informative, it’s also meant to be fun.

“We want to make it fun for everybody with the demonstrations we have,” she says. “By showing people that being physically healthy can be fun it will hopefully encourage people to engage in healthy choices and make it something they are more likely to do.”

The idea to host an event on physical health was developed this past May following discussions among staff on how to achieve some of Epic Opportunities’ goals regarding holistic wellness that are part of the organization’s five-year strategic plan. Tibay says committee members chose a format they felt would empower people to make choices for themselves.

“We want people to be able to make those decisions for themselves and understand that being healthy is very important and that their bodies are very important,” she says.

Hannem says it’s too soon to say how many people will attend the event but expects there will be a steady stream of visitors throughout the day. She adds that it could become an annual event if there is sufficient interest.

In addition to physical wellness, Epic Opportunities’ wellness committee is also finalizing plans on how to promote mental and spiritual wellness. A series of spiritual wellness discussions is planned to begin in August.

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