By Austin Petersen
The Wellness Fair brought together Webster students and members of the Webster Groves community to learn about local health and fitness initiatives.
The event was held on Wednesday September 14 from 11 – 2 p.m. in the gym at the University Center. It was sponsored by the Office of First Year Experience and the Wellness Committee. The purpose of the annual event is to raise the community’s consciousness about their health and wellbeing.
Webster freshman Jenna Rodriguez said Webster Groves promotes a uniquely healthy lifestyle.
“I didn’t know towns like Webster existed anymore. Kids play outside and you can see people running through Blackburn Park. It is a different community here,” Rodriguez said.
Justin Barton is the director of First Year Experience, a program at Webster which helps students transition into college. He also sees Webster as having a unique environment.
“You’ll see students walking to businesses. You’ll see students that are in the local school districts walking to class or riding their bikes where other schools and other communities don’t provide that type of atmosphere,” Barton said.
Barton said the Wellness Fair saw much more traffic this year than any years past, as well as more community members present.
Among the booths concentrating on physical fitness was Anytime Fitness owner and manager Aaron Spears, who was encouraging student to join him and his team at the local fitness center. Spears recently hired Shane Jenne, former Webster University student as a trainer.
“He is at his beginning stage of being a trainer but I think he is gonna progress very easily because he has that passion,” Spears said. “And once you have that passion in health and fitness it is just going to propel you.”
Also in attendance was Angela Foley, the director of the Farmer’s Market. Foley was promoting community wellness by speaking of her local produce and activities she offers at the market every week.
”I think the people here are very family and community oriented and so they take it upon themselves to educate themselves how to live a better life and a good healthy lifestyle,” Foley said.
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