Charles Warner|Daily Times Brittany Davis, a medical assistant with the OB/GYN Department at Wallace Thomson Hospital, speaks with some of the approximately 70 people who turned out for Saturday's Health Fair/Wellness Workshop at McBeth Baptist Church. The fair/workshop provided the public with information on a wide range of health issues and available health care services.

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Kerry Montgomery fills out a form for a mammogram at Wallace Thomson Hospital. She was among the approximately 70 people who attended Saturday's Health Fair/Wellness Workshop at McBeth Baptist Church.

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Donald Rice gets an eye exam from Damaron Anderson and Vernett Brown of the S.C. Commission for the Blind. The commission was one of a number of health care organizations represented at the Health Fair/Wellness Workshop at McBeth Baptist Church on Saturday.

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Rena Good, medical assistant with the OB/GYN Department at Wallace Thomson Hospital checks Paula Gist's blood pressure during Saturday's Health Fair/Wellness Workshop at McBeth Baptist Church.

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UNION — The 70 people who attended Saturday’s Health Fair/Wellness Workshop at McBeth Baptist Church received information on a variety of health care issues and services with nutrition being the most popular according to the event’s facilitators.

Saturday was the third Health Fair/Wellness Workshop the church has sponsored over the past three years and facilitator Savtri Parham said the turnout was nearly double the 40 people who turned out for the 2012 event.

“It went well,” Parham said Monday. “This time we had about 70 people. It was very effective, people gained lots of knowledge and were very pleased. They enjoyed the fellowship with the people and they learned more about the different medical services that are available.”

Saturday’s fair/workshop included eye exams and blood pressure screenings; information from the American Cancer Society including the possibility of free mammograms and pap smears; information from Wallace Thomson Hospital on surgery and primary care; information from the hospital’s OB/GYN department on Women’s Health Services; and a nutritionist from the hospital who provided information on good nutrition and its importance.

Dr. Natashia Jeter, who also served as a facilitator for Saturday’s event, said the nutritionist was the most popular with those who attended.

“The big hit was the nutritionist from the hospital,” Jeter said Monday. “A lot of people felt like she gave them very good information and commented how they felt that could help them.”

In addition to the information provided, Parham said 30 door prizes were awarded. She said the gift cards and complimentary meals awarded were donated by Heart’s Drive-In, Kirby’s Bakery, Wal Mart, Burger King, Buffalo Seafood, Zaxby’s, Golden Corral, Ryan’s, Blue Bay Seafood, Chick-fil-A, and O’Charly’s.

Parham and Jeter said they plan to have another health fair/wellness workshop in 2014 and hope to get more people involved.

Editor Charles Warner can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 14, or by email at cwarner@civitasmedia.com.