Stroke prevention education, voter registration and healthy food preparation are among the activities that a group of business, health and community service organizations have put together for an upcoming Health and Community Service Awareness Day.

The free community event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at Thee Matriarch at 1170 Fischer St. in Orangeburg, located between Captain D's Restaurant on Broughton Street and Rachelle's Island Boutique on Middleton Street.

"It takes community service and health organizations to be able to help our county become a healthier community," said Rachelle Jamerson-Holmes, owner of Rachelle's Island. "All of it plays a part, and we just want to have a great unified day."

The event will include the following presentations: "You Got To Move It" physical activity demonstration, 10 to 10:30 a.m.; "Ask the Doctor" session on stroke health, including early detection signs, 11 to 11:30 a.m.; physical activity demonstration, 11:30 a.m. to noon; "Healthy Food Tastes Good Also" food preparation and demonstration, including free cookbook distribution, noon to 12:30 p.m.

"We're really excited about the demonstrations," Jamerson-Holmes said. "Families are welcome. When it comes to health, it starts young."

The Orangeburg Chapter of the Links Inc. and the Orangeburg NAACP will be conducting a voter registration drive at the event, which will also feature free health screenings, food and door prizes and a live radio broadcast with Andy Henderson of WSPX 94.5 FM.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure will be among the array of exhibitors and will be promoting breast health awareness.

"For the past four years, it has given a grant through the Breast Health Center at the Regional Medical Center to do free mammograms," said Carrie James, founder of Celebrations, a support group for African-American breast cancer survivors.

She said women who meet grant criteria need to contact Becky Hejl, lead mammographer in the Breast Health Center, by calling 803-395-2500.

"What we'll be doing that day is to see if there is a need to continue to apply for the grant so people will have access to mammograms even if they're underinsured or uninsured," James said. "There is an insurance and age criteria."

Other event exhibitors include: Stroke Belt Elimination Initiative Leadership Team; Orangeburg NAACP Annual Membership Drive Radiothon; the Regional Medical Center; Family Health Center; Orangeburg Area Sickle Cell Foundation Inc.; Low Country Healthy Start; Project EXPORT (Voorhees College and Claflin and South Carolina State universities); Tobacco Awareness Group; Communicare; Orangeburg Chapter of the Links Inc.; Celebrations and Entrepreneurial & Empowerment Network.

"When all of us can come together on something, that's so vital not only in our community, but globally," Jamerson-Holmes said. "Anyway we can play a part to make that happen, that's what we're doing."

For more information, call Jamerson-Holmes at 803-531-6226.

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T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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