Southern California's largest health fair was held Saturday morning. The annual Palm Springs Health Run and Wellness Festival was held at Ruth Heard Park near downtown.
This big event started with a 5k and 10k run. Participants had to pass through various neighborhoods in Palm Springs along the way. The winner of this year's girls division 10K was Bridget Wickstrand, her cross country coach from Rancho Mirage High School. She was so happy to see such a special event being held so close to her home.
“The great thing about running is that anyone can do it. It doesn't matter where you're from, how fast or slow you are, it's a sport for everyone,” says Wickstrand. So I encourage kids to go out and try it. And it's a great community to be a part of. ”
Second-place finisher Carissa DeVries was a teammate of Wickstrand in high school. This is her first 10km race and she recommends everyone try it just once.
“Try it, because it's going to get better, it's going to feel like it's going to last, it's going to feel like you're going up a hill and then you're going down and then you're going up a hill,” DeVries said. “But keep going. Never give up and keep running that distance.”
After the run, participants browsed a health expo. Over 80 vendors, booths, and fitness demonstrations took place throughout his day.
During the free event, people spoke with local wellness centers and received free health screenings. Blood banks were also collecting donations.
“We have a lot of vendors here,” Karin Bacon said. Bacon was attending the festival with some of his friends and his dog. “It's all about health. Eisenhower's health is here, there's a lot of Alzheimer's disease, just getting information about everything.”
One of the vendors, Citrus Free Clinic, advertised free medical services.
“We want to help improve the health of the Inland Empire. We know there are many needs, but we are concerned that people may not have access to health care because of: I know there are a lot of people,” Natalie Bishara said. Citizenship, insurance, etc. There are many other factors that make access to healthcare difficult. For us, we don't need insurance, we don't need citizenship. If you need help, we can help. ”
Another vendor, a mobile spa concierge, also provided massages to participants and runners.
“We're doing massages for this event so people can try it out,” Lauren Ramos said. However, we also offer massages for corporate events, parties, and in-home bookings. Our company has been in business for 25 years. We are proud to be massage therapists. ”
This festival is held to encourage a healthy lifestyle for all Coachella Valley residents.
