Community health fair to be held at First Assembly Sat.

The Lincoln County Health Fair will take place Saturday, October 13, from 9 a.m. until 12 noon in the Family Life Center at First Assembly of God on the Thomson Highway.

The event is being sponsored by Lincoln County Family Connection.

Among the services that will be offered to the public free of charge are:

.. Blood pressure screenings - Lincoln County EMS.

.. Cholesterol screenings - Dr. Weems Pennington. There will also be tours of the physician's mobile stress test unit.

.. Sickle cell screenings - The Sickle Cell Foundation of Atlanta.

.. Glucose screenings - Dr. Robert Williams.

.. Youth fingerprinting - The Lincolnton Police Department.

Also, the Lincoln County Health Department will be on the scene armed with flu shots. For those not covered by Medicaid, PeachCare or Medicare Part B, the cost of the vaccine is $20.

In addition to the services listed above, the health fair will offer participants timely information on a variety of health and safety issues. The following organizations and businesses have agreed to send representatives to the event: The Lincoln County Wellness Center; LifeLink of Georgia (organ donation); CareSouth (home health agency); the Lincoln County Pre-K Program ("Fishing for Nutrition"); the CSRA Home Health Agency, Inc.; the Lincoln County Department of Family and Children Services; Help a Child Smile (dental program); CSRA Private Duty; InSight (a drug and/or alcohol rehabilitation program); and Right from the Start (Medicaid for children).

Moreover, the Shepeard Community Blood Center will be conducting a blood drive on the premises. The goal is 30 units of blood.

The fair will also feature a coloring contest and face painting for children as well as tours of a LifeNet helicopter, courtesy of the Medical College of Georgia.

In her remarks, Nancy Blount, Family Connection coordinator, stated, "Please plan to attend the health fair, and if you are not in need of these services, make an effort to spread the word to those in your neighborhood who may need to have testing done that could save their lives."

For more information about the health fair or transportation to the event, con