An apple a day
From left, Cécile Dumouchel, Marie-Claire Ivanski, Diane Hayes, Jennifer Geigel and Nicole Gosselin-Seguin prepare for the first ever Health and Wellness Day event in Russell Township set for October. The ladies each held an apple to remind them of their theme, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Sawyer Helmer photo
Kalynn Sawyer Helmer
Villager Staff
EMBRUN — On Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., an inaugural event is coming to the Embrun Community Centre. The Health and Wellness Day is an exposition to put healthy living on the local community and surrounding area’s radar while raising funds for two non-profit organizations: Friends for Life and Breast Cancer Action.
Marie-Claire Ivanski along with the organizing team of Diane Hayes, Jennifer Geigel, Cécile Dumouchel, Nicole Gosselin-Seguin and Liz Neil-Perras, are aiming to create a healthier and more mindful area. All of the women involved on the organizing committee have a personal connection to the ideals behind the event and spoke about their concerns of the number of people with cancer and health issues in the township. With regular meetings and dedication from the team, the day is sure to bring health to the forefront and will focus on body, mind and environmental wellbeing.
The organizers are still in planning stages with invitations out to potential vendors for the day. The invitation explains, “the goal of this event is to bring awareness to the importance of a healthier lifestyle in order to reduce the risk of cancer and other health issues. We want to connect our local community to the services available to help people achieve this goal.”
The event is the first of its kind in Russell Township and is intended to be a place where residents can interact and learn from health and healthy living professionals. Over the past 13 years, Ivanski explained she has been working to raise money to find the cure for cancer. Now she is shifting her cause to prevention. “We are hoping to enlighten people and we ourselves are learning on the way,” Ivanski said. Their goal is to help people live healthier lives to reduce the risk of cancer and other health issues. For those already suffering or who become ill, they are there to provide support however they can.
The space will feature vendors with room for up to 52 with the option to purchase either one table for $45 or two tables for $80. The committee explained vendors must be involved in healthy living such as fitness businesses, healthy foods, or even mental health organizations. The committee will limit businesses that overlap in products and services and will reserve tables on a first come first serve basis.
The day will also feature a bilingual set of speakers who will teach the audience how to implement healthy living practices into their daily lives. The event will be as green as possible the committee said, plastic water bottles will be replaced by a water refilling station, reusable decorations and all organizing leading up to the event will be electronic. “We are taking everything into consideration from the ground up.”
Vendors looking to participate can find more information on the event’s Facebook page by searching “health and wellness day/ journée santé et bien-être”. For individuals or businesses who don’t fit the vendor category but would like to participate, the committee is still looking for silent auction items. All of the proceeds will be split between Breast Cancer Action and Friends for Life.
