Chillicothe, OH – The first annual Ross County Health District (RCHD) Family Health Fair was held on Saturday, August 23, 2025 from 1pm to 4pm at the Ross County Service Center under the theme, “Driven by Hope, United by Health.” With 141 adults registered and many more present, the event maximized the space of the Service Center’s four main conference rooms. Indoor activities included balloon sculptures, a caricature artist, facepainting, and raffle prizes for kids of all ages. Refreshments served to attendees included 410 hot dogs, 288 servings of chips, and over 300 cookies. 

Community vendors participating in the resource fair event included Another Chance Ministries, Hope Partnership Project, Hopewell Health, Ross County Community Action, Ross County Job and Family Services, Ross County Post Overdose Response Team (PORT), Scioto Paint Valley Mental Health, and Veterans Affairs (VA) Chillicothe. Resource tables featuring each of RCHD’s divisions and programs were loaded with educational activities, games, and displays manned by RCHD staff. Nine prize baskets valued at $100 provided by RCHD staff were raffled along with a photo op contest for attendees with a $150 gift card prize.

The Environmental Health (EH) Division offered tick removal tweezers, mosquito spray for completing a quick survey, mosquito coloring books, and EH goodie bags with mosquito repellent wipes inside. Additional mosquito, tick, and rabies educational literature was also available. “We had so much fun playing our Tick-Tac-Mosqui-TOE game with the kids and sharing information on ticks and mosquitoes,” said RCHD Environmental Health Director, Kelly Spindler. “The biggest hit, however, was the awesome balloon mosquitoes made by our own Chris Carver! We had a line all day!” Spindler enthusiastically stated.

Educational interactive displays for children were in abundance at the event. The Child and Family Health Division booth display included information for Help Me Grow Home Visiting and Cribs for Kids programs, free color-changing cups and a physical activity wheel for kids to spin to do a fun physical activity. Child and Family Health car seat safety technicians also offered a free car seat safety check in the Service Center parking lot during the event.

RCHD’s Public Health Nursing (PHN) Division’s indoor resource table offered dental hygiene items, disease prevention resources, educational handwashing coloring books, along with a myriad of door prizes and goodies to attendees. “Participating in the health fair was a valuable opportunity to engage directly with our community and reinforce our commitment to public health,” expressed PHN Director, Morgan Kelley. “Events like these allow us to not only support health education and prevention efforts, but also listen, learn, and build trust. It’s a powerful way to connect people with resources, raise awareness, and inspire collective action toward healthier communities,” Kelley added. RCHD’s medical mobile unit was available outside for touring and provided free Access to Care magnets, bags, band aids, sanitizer, and thermometers.

Ross-Pickaway County WIC offered nutrition educational materials such as handouts on healthy eating for toddlers and sugary drink alternatives. The breastfeeding program promoted information on the benefits of breastfeeding and tips for a great latch. Ross County WIC Director Rebecca Ward said of the event, “WIC loved seeing the community participate in answering nutrition-related quiz questions to win a prize! It made our day to see the children’s smiles when they answered the questions correctly.”

The Health Promotion and Quality Improvement (HP) Division offered information and resources for Mobility Management, Creating Health Communities, Project DAWN (the Ohio Department of Health’s naloxone distribution program), and school-based drug education programs. Mobility Management provided a variety of items including gloves, lint rollers, shopping bag clips, and water bottles. Information for parents about school-age children vaping and safe medication disposal were available along with a “candy confusion” game to help identify candy from medication. Free feminine hygiene products, medication lock boxes (provided by ADAMH), and naloxone were also provided by the HP Division.

Substance Use Disorder Program Coordinator, Bud Lytle, of RCHD’s HP Division facilitated Hidden in Plain Sight, an interactive display for parents and guardians to see if they are able to identify substance use indicators in a mock teenager’s bedroom. This interactive display of a teenager’s bedroom contains items that could indicate a young person might be involved in risky activities. Parents and other caring adults can learn how to spot warning signs and get tips for how to communicate with their teens. “A caseworker at Job and Family Services came through the display and was amazed at the different items that can be purchased locally to hide contraband in a bedroom. She was so impressed that she returned and shared with her supervisors. They have since scheduled a Hidden in Plain Sight and drug awareness training for the case workers within the Children Services Division of Job and Family Services,” explained Lytle. He added, “Several of the parents who went through the display had similar sentiments, each being surprised that these items can be easily purchased within our community.” 

Other outdoor activities included a bounce house and touch-a-truck experience. Touch-a-truck participating vehicles included Chillicothe Fire Department, Chillicothe Police Department, Chillicothe Ross County Public Library’s Bee Bookmobile, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and Ross County Health District’s own medical mobile unit.

Plans to make next year’s event bigger and better are already underway.