Back to School Health Roundup: News and Events for Healthy Families

Legacy to Host Family Wellness Fair

Legacy Emanuel and Randall Children’s will host host the Family Wellness Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday at 2801 N. Gantenbein. Those who attend can:

•  Buy a bicycle helmet for everyone in your family from toddlers through adults for only $6.
• Visit Legacy’s Car Safety Seat Check-Up. Staff will make sure that participants are using their car safety seat properly. Used or damaged car safety seats can be recycled at the event for free.
• Watch a cooking demonstration from a local chef, learn healthy eating tips, and/or try free delicious samples from New Seasons Market.
• Tour a LifeFlight helicopter, American Medical Response ambulances and a Portland Fire & Rescue fire engine
• Take part in fun, interactive activities like hula hooping, surgical robot, bouncy slide, recess games, virtual reality, crafts and more.
• Enter a free raffle to win a $100 gift card to New Seasons Market or Beats by Dre headphones.

For more information or directions to the event, visit http://www.legacyhealth.org/familyfun.

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Calls for New Members and Volunteers

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington (GSOSW) is inviting girls to join the fun and register for Girl Scouts. Providing opportunities for making friends, trying new things, and exercising leadership skills through activities like building robots, participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, playing sports and more, Girl Scouts engages girls all year round.

This fall, Girl Scouts will offer more than 100 opportunities for local girls to learn by doing in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Event topics will include the arts (dance, textile arts and theater), self-defense, financial literacy, leadership development and science (zoology, computer science and even entomology - the scientific study of insects). The pinnacle of the season will take place Nov. 7, as GSOSW fills the Portland Expo Center with hands-on opportunities for girls at its annual GirlFest event.

While Girl Scouts is open to all girls from kindergarten through grade 12, anyone over the age of 18 can become a Girl Scout volunteer. Girls cannot experience the positive impact of Girl Scouts without adult volunteers, and each adult who volunteers has the opportunity to make a real difference in the life of a girl. Girl Scout volunteers come from all walks of life; they are men, women, young professionals, retirees, college students, and more. Both girls and adult volunteers can join at any time of the year. To join Girl Scouts or learn more about volunteering, please visit: www.girlscouts.org/join.

Portland Prime Holds Fourth Annual Shoe and Steak Giveaway

Portland Prime’s 4th annual shoe and steak giveaway will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 29, 2015.

This year again, the goal is to bring smiles to 500–1000 children’s faces as they prepare to go back to school. Each child will have their feet washed if they choose, receive a pair of new shoes and get a backpack with school supplies. Portland Prime will also serve steak sandwiches to all children and family. This year, there will also be stations for all girls to have their fingernails polished and young boys to receive a haircut. Organizers are also working with a transportation company to coordinate picking up children at certain locations so they may attend the event. For more information or to donate to this event, contact Frank Taylor, (503) 223-6200.

KGW Holds 8^th Annual School Supplies Drive

KGW, in partnership with OnPoint Community Credit Union, Papa Murphy’s and local Toyota dealers, began its eighth annual school supply drive July 20 and the drive continues through August 20. The goal of the drive is to collect enough school supplies and cash to send 8,000 students back to school with the supplies needed to succeed. In Oregon nearly half of all children live in low-income families and cannot afford even the most basic school supplies. 

Through August 20, the public is encouraged to make cash and school supply donations of any amount. A $25 donation provides one student with basic supplies needed for an entire year.  All donations, benefiting local area schools, are distributed with the help of Schoolhouse Supplies, the non-profit Free Store for Teachers. 

How to give:

• Donate cash or school supplies at any OnPoint Community Credit Union or local Toyota dealership.
•  Donate $5 or more worth of school supplies at a participating Local Toyota Dealership and receive $10 off your parts or service visit.
• Make a cash donation and receive a $5 off coupon for a family size pizza.
• Donate funds online at KGW.com/school.
• Text donations to 41444.

Neighbors Against Violence Holds Second ‘Ask Nicky’ Camp

Neighbors Against Violence will hold the second session of a camp featuring Nicole Taylor, author of the Ask Nicky children’s book, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily from Aug. 17-21 at the Community Education Center, 4625 N. Trenton.This free camp serves children between the ages of 11 and 16 and includes meals and snacks, training certificates, activities and training certificates. There will also be presentations and discussions on bullying, gangs and peer pressure with student interaction on avoiding situations. The Ask Nicky book is a direct reflection of her Taylor’s life and growing up in gangs and how she turned herself around.  The first session of the camp was held at the end of July.