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Health Checks Icing On Cake At Fun Fest

D'Ann Lawrence White, Tribune photo

Brandon Senior Center staff member Miriam Aguinaga helps senior Robert Alvey spot some key numbers during a game of bingo at the Senior Fun Fest Sept. 21.

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 29, 2007

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BRANDON - A registered nurse at Tampa General Hospital, Denise Grogg is accustomed to seeing people facing serious illnesses and injuries.

So, she said, it was a pleasure for her to get away from the demands of the hospital and see people who are not only healthy but also educated about health matters.

Grogg and several fellow nurses from the hospital volunteered to spend Sept. 21 at the Brandon Community Center, 502 E. Sadie St., Brandon, testing senior citizens' cholesterol, blood sugar levels and blood pressure as part of the 11th annual Senior Fun Fest hosted by Senior Connection magazine.

'This is the first time I've come out and done something like this,' she said. 'It's been fun, and it's good to see that so many seniors are informed about health issues. Everyone I tested pretty much knew where their levels should be.'

For Rebecca Hair, a member of Senior Citizens of Progress Village, it was a chance to meet up with friends and socialize. She said the free health screenings and exhibits set up by nursing homes, assisted living facilities, health equipment supply companies, financial institutions, funeral homes and the county are icing on the cake.

'We come here to get together with friends and see what's going on,' said Hair, who was enjoying lunch with her friends and listening to entertainer Eddy Rivers belt out country favorites.

Hair and other members of her group came to the festival wearing matching green T-shirts with the name of the group on the back and the words 'Golden Years Are Great' on the front.

'They're a very close-knit group,' said Emma Stanford, director of the Progress Village senior nutrition site. 'They've been coming to this event for more than 12 years. They go everywhere together.'

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

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