Start Your Summer Story Here

Summer comes, and your hair and your heart get lighter. Water gets warmer. Drinks get cold. Windows open. Music gets turned up. And nights get longer.

Throughout our lives, the wonder of each summer always comes with its own story. As the sun shines and green things grow, every one of us, no matter our age, adventures forth to soak in good times and create new memories.

summer storySo, let’s kick off this summer’s story with a healthy start. We want us all on track to enjoy summer to its fullest, and that’s why the staff at Southwest Health is offering our 5k and 1 Mile Glow Run/Walk and Safety Extravaganza Friday evening, May 5th.

Fun and family friendly, this is our 4th Annual event, back bigger than ever. So, whether you grab your glow stuff and join the run/walk or come for one of our summer safety exhibits, there’s something for everyone. In addition to the run/walk fun, our Fire Department, Police, EMS, and our area All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Club will be on hand with demos and displays.

Plus, there’s an important Carfit program for older drivers. Driving today is often more challenging with more traffic, bigger vehicles, and faster speeds! Over time improvements are made to cars and roadways, yet we also want to help older drivers adapt to these increased demands on our senses. This program helps seniors take a few key measures to better understand safety features of their cars and achieve the best and safest “fit.”

Using a 12 point check system, Southwest Health will adjust your vehicle for maximum safety and comfort on the road. For example, sitting too close to the steering wheel can be dangerous if the air bag deploys. It happens! Carfit technicians may recommend adjusting your seat position or your seat back. Even the smallest adjustments can make a crucial safety difference.

The ultimate purpose of Carfit is not to assess anyone’s driving skill. The program is designed to fit one’s mass produced car to drivers’ unique body and position. And that will help keep all of us in the driver seat and maintaining our driving independence longer. That’s the ultimate goal.

A proper carfit only takes about 20 minutes to complete, and it could save your life. Carfits will be held in our parking lot during the Safety Extravaganza. To accommodate everyone who wants or needs a carfit, this free service begins at 5:00 pm prior to all our other evening’s events. Come on over to our event, and check into a car fit for you or the older driver you love.

Other Safety Extravaganza activities (brought to you by Southwest Health’s Safety Squad) begin at 5:30 pm. Registration for the run/walk (organized by our Nightingale’s Nursing Quality Team) begins at 6pm, and the 5k and 1Mile events start at 7:15 pm. Closing ceremonies happen with prizes awarded at 8:15 pm. Run/walk registration and event details are available online at southwesthealth.org/florence5k.

Get your season started right at our May 5th event, so you create the best and safest stories of your own by summer’s end.

Comments are closed.