Submitted by on November 17, 2016 – 3:32pm
POPLARVILLE – More than 400 women indulged themselves for a day at the 2015 Women鈥檚 Health Symposium Saturday at 91福利.
They shopped for jewelry, bird houses and other merchandise at the Art Walk, took advantage of free screenings, such as blood pressure and cholesterol, and treated themselves to chair massages and manicures.
They packed into Olivia Bender Cafeteria to hear health information from a panel of local healthcare providers and laughed with speaker Janie Walters as she whooped and hollered while talking about ways to reduce stress.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not until we accept the fact that we鈥檙e living with stress that we can begin to manage it,鈥� Walters said. 鈥淚t helps, if you can, to avoid it.鈥�
Keys to managing stress include honesty, patience, forgiveness, faith in something bigger than yourself, deep breaths and laughter, she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not going away,鈥� Walters said. 鈥淲e just have to be smarter about dealing with it.鈥�
Students from several PRCC programs played an active part in the symposium:
鈥ursing students did blood pressure checks.
鈥edical laboratory technology students did cholesterol checks.
鈥ental hygiene students provided oral healthcare information.
鈥osmetology students did manicures and paraffin waxes.
鈥he Voices select vocal ensemble provided luncheon entertainment.
鈥onors Institute students assisted with the continental breakfast and the luncheon.
鈥rt students assisted with the Art Walk.
Each participant received a 鈥淏lueberry Pearl鈥� necklace and a garment bag embossed with the PRCC logo. Approximately 200 door prizes were awarded, including six grand prizes:
鈥riginal Alex Ladner painting worth $100 to Forrest County Center instructor Charity McCoy of Brooklyn.
鈥atherine Popesco bracelet worth $100 from Apples Ltd to Savannah Hodge of Poplarville.
鈥ear鈥檚 supply of Coke products worth $175 to Angelia Burnham of Petal.
鈥urquoise and peridot earrings worth $200 from Parris Jewelers to Rebecca Seals of Lumberton.
鈥dirondack chairs made by PRCC advanced construction technology students to Vondell Wallace of Poplarville.
鈥oncrete picnic table and benches made by PRCC brick masonry students to Angie Smith of Picayune.
Grand sponsor for the symposium was the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation.
Silver sponsors were Hancock Bank, Mississippi Power, Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home, Slidell Memorial Hospital and Wal-Mart Supercenter in Picayune. Bronze sponsors were BankPlus, First National Bank of Picayune, Hattiesburg Clinic, Highland Community Hospital, Southern Bone & Joint Specialists and Wesley Medical Center.
Winners of the grand prizes were, from left, Charity McCoy of Brooklyn, original Alex Ladner painting; Angie Smith of Picayune, concrete picnic table and benches made by PRCC brick masonry students; Vondell Wallace of Poplarville, Adirondack chairs made by PRCC advanced construction technology students; Rebecca Seals of Lumberton, earrings from Parris Jewelers; Angelia Burnham of Petal, a year鈥檚 supply of products from Hattiesburg Coca-Cola; and Savannah Hodge of Poplarville, a Catherine Popesco bracelet from Apples Ltd.
Associate degree nursing student Kimberly Freeman of Petal checks blood pressure for Carol Ann Freeman of Lumberton.
Earlene Smith and Sharon Fink of Poplarville react with pleasure to the 鈥淏lueberry Pearl鈥� necklace each participant received.
