Original: April 12, 2011 Issue 14

By: Shelli Block

Staff Writer

MC’s 2011 Wellness Fair on April 6 in the main gym encompassed a wide range of health and safety programs.

Most significant were: Fitness, nutrition, emergency preparedness, vision & hearing screenings, mental health and suicide prevention.

Upon entering the main the gym the most visible exhibit was from the National Capital Area Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Jerry Henwood and Susan Cardarelli greeted folks who stopped at their exhibit.

“My son Danny was a student here who didn’t make it to graduation,” Henwood explained, “He committed suicide in October 2008

“He was in excruciating pain,” Henwood said solemnly,

“He struggled with bipolar and schizophrenia…A parent never recovers from losing a child.”

Henwood explained that Caldarelli and he were there to educate fairgoers about understanding and preventing suicide through advocacy and give information to anyone who knows someone who is contemplating suicide. Persons wanting more information can send email to the following address: [email protected].

He mentioned that the foundation will be hosting a video presentation and discussion entitled “The Truth about Suicide” Monday April 25, from 12:30-1:30 PM in PE 209.
Around the corner from the NCAC table was the Montgomery County Mental Health Associations display which had informative handouts and resources for persons suffering from multiple mental health concerns.

Further along the aisle, members of the Lions Club were giving free glaucoma and vision testing. They explained that their screenings were not a substitute for a physician’s eye exam; that the tests are designed to identify only a few diseases or problems an ophthalmologist might discover. Participants thanked the screeners for making them aware of possible problems.