1st Annual “Familia, Salud, Y Vida”
Latino Health Fair raised awareness of health issues that impact local community  
PORTLAND-In its first year, Familia, Salud y Vida (Family, Health, and Life) Latino Health Fair made great strides in reaching out to local Latino families and raising awareness of the health issues that impact the local community.  Over 1,500 people packed into the Cascade Banquet Center at the Oregon Zoo for four hours on Saturday, May 19th to receive free health screenings, prevention tips, massages, child safety identification kits, and more!  The crowd was entertained by a Ballet Folklorico, Dental Health Demonstration, Zoo Animal Presentations, Kids Activities, a Lucha Libre, Blood Donation Discussion, and a demonstration by two players from the Portland Timbers.

Health screening results from the Lions Mobile Unit showed that 35% of those screened for blood glucose levels were pre-diabetic and were referred for follow-up with their physician.  Thirty five percent screened for hearing and nearly 30% screened for vision also needed to be referred for a further check-up.  Twenty percent had high cholesterol. 

Final results from United Healthcare, the largest provider of screenings, are still coming in.  They will be posted on the website www.familiasaludyvida.com  once all the results have been finalized.

 “Our goal is to foster awareness about the health problems that particularly affect the Latino community, as well as provide important information on health prevention and local health resources,” said Kristel Nelsen, President of Picante Solutions, Inc. and organizer of the event.  “According to the American Heart Association, Latinos are more likely to have diabetes and higher cholesterol.  Early results from the health fair screenings show those statistics to be highly accurate for the local community, but the screenings also demonstrate the need for services and information on issues relating to hearing and vision.”

 “We are committed to providing the community with important health related information, and the next step is getting the website up and running with local resources in both English and Spanish, in addition to preparing for next year’s health fair,” said Kristel   The Northwest Latino population continues to grow and outpace the national average.  Currently, 75% of the NW Latino community is under the age of 35, and one in every 3 newcomers to the state of Oregon is Latino.  “If we reach young families now, we become a stronger community for the future,” said Kristel Sponsor participation was integral to the success of the Familia, Salud, y Vida Latino Health Fair.  United Healthcare generously conducted hundreds of free screenings, provided free lunch boxes, and much more!  American Family Insurance provided activities for the kids area, including face painting, coloring, and games for families.  Media support was generously provided by our friends at Univision, Bustos Media, and El Centinela. Picante Solutions, Inc. is a local Hispanic marketing and communications firm based in Portland, Oregon.  We specialize in connecting businesses with the Northwest’s growing Latino community through local events and marketing campaigns.  For more information, please visit www.picante-solutions.com