Alex’s Lemonade Stand reaches out at Take Care Health Fair

By Janene Gibbons
April 30, 2009

Shannon Keough

This year Cabrini’s Take Care Fair had a goal to get more student participation. Jess Huda, Cabrini’s fitness director and assistant soccer coach, was one of the main organizers for the event.

Huda held various committee meetings to make sure this goal was achieved. She knew that the key was to hold the event in a location where it would get a lot of attention.

Huda decided partnering Alex’s Lemonade Stand’s annual charity event with the Take Care Fair would be a win-win situation. She explained that the weather is always nice when Cabrini holds Alex’s Lemonade Stand and how she hoped partnering the two events would bring in more students and money to the foundation than last year.

“I just wanted it to be interactive and outside where no one would miss it. Having the radio station here is huge, because the music makes the event fun in and of itself,” Huda said.

Huda emphasized that this year the Take Care Fair would focus on the six dimensions of wellness, which include; physical, emotional spiritual, environmental, social and intellectual health.

Everyone who came to the event received a sheet that listed all the vendors, what dimension each vendor represented and the color of each dimensions and stations.

Huda also wanted to have a Cabrini club or organization there to emphasize each dimension.

Some Cabrini organizations and clubs that got involved were the Wolfington Center, the Psychology Club, Active Minds, Promoting Alcohol Responsibility Through You, Center for Student Engagement and Leadership, Residence Life, Center for Teaching and Learning, the Body Image Coalition, exercise science students and the Health and Wellness Department.

Huda also brought in outside organizations like the National Guard, National Massage Therapy and Main Line Health.

P.A.R.T.Y gave out free t-shirts to students who took a quiz which tested their knowledge of alcohol effects on the mind and body. Cabrini’s Health Services gave out goody bags containing hand sanitizers, candy and first aid kits. Every station and organization had a lot of handouts and resources for students to pick up at their leisure.

In addition, there was a rock climbing wall and a moon bounce for students to play on.

Senior psychology major and Active Minds member Heather Hachniuk was impressed with the event. “This year is a little different. There’s a bit more variety and more clubs involved,” Hachniuk said.

“The fair is trying to promote these six dimensions of wellness. It’s not only about taking care of yourself, but taking care of the community. Cabrini is such a giving community. It is neat to see the event keep growing,” Huda said.

All proceeds made at Cabrini’s Alex’s Lemonade Stand event will benefit the foundation. The charity raises money toward

childhood cancer. The total amount of money Cabrini raised this year was $944.81. Each glass of lemonade sold for $1 and t- shirts were $10.

“Alex’s Lemonade Stand is my favorite event that Cabrini does and the foundation has been an important cause to me since high school. I was involved with it from early on,” Molly Kearney, junior communication major, said.

“I think that childhood cancer needs to be cured–no if, ands or buts. If I see something that supports it I’m going to buy it. That ranges from a t-shirt at Cabrini each year to the bottled lemonade from Alex’s Lemonade Stand I find at the grocery store. It’s also local and we can all make a difference by spending a dollar or more,” Kearney said.

Gillian Kocher, an Alex Lemonade Stand foundation representative, discussed the impact that donations have towards funding the research to help find a cure for childhood cancer.

“After crunching some numbers, we realized that $20 can fund 45 minutes of research by Young Investigator, and who knows what 45 minutes could lead to that breakthrough we are so desperately seeking,” Kocher said.

Kate Conahan junior exercise science major said, “I think students who know more about the cause are more impacted than students who are just selling lemonade.

My cousin had cancer so I have some personal experience.”

“College students have the potential to not only raise awareness for childhood cancer, but also make a difference in the lives of children fighting the disease now. Many people don’t realize how childhood cancer touches the youth of this country, and by holding an Alex’s Lemonade Stand fundraiser, students have the opportunity to change that,” Kocher said.

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Janene Gibbons

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