20 Ago
 |
| Families register their children for various screenings for school in Promise Community Health Center’s conference room during the annual Back-to-School Block Party on Wednesday, Aug. 12. |
by Derrick Vander Waal
SIOUX CENTER, IOWA – A record 126 children were served with required screenings for school during Promise Community Health Center’s sixth annual Back-to-School Block Party on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
SIOUX CENTER, IOWA – A record 126 children were served with required screenings for school during Promise Community Health Center’s sixth annual Back-to-School Block Party on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
This number topped the 2014 total of 104 children.
The 2015 event was offered again this year in celebration of National Health Center Week.
“We were thrilled to offer this service to our community to help ensure that students are ready to return to school,” said Derrick Vander Waal, public relations and development coordinator for Promise. “We were pleased to see so many families turn out to not only receive the screenings but also to have a good time with their families.”
As a breakdown of this year’s numbers, 40 youths were given free immunizations, 57 had free dental screens and 93 received low-cost school and sports physicals. All of those were all-time high marks.
 |
| Face painting was one of the many activities offered during the block party celebration. |
Free drawstring bags filled with school and hygiene supplies also were given to the children. Promise staff conducted an internal fund drive for the bags.
The children, their families and many others from the community also enjoyed block party activities in the parking area and alley behind the health center during the four-hour event with the help of many Sioux Center area businesses and organizations.
Promise and nearly a dozen local organizations offered interactive and educational games and activities. The activities included caricature drawings for a self-esteem activity, face painting, skee ball, healthy after-school snacks, sidewalk chalk and bubbles, coloring and crafts. KSOU Radio served a free hot dog meal, Culver’s gave out free lemon ice treats, Cinema 5 Theatres provided free popcorn, and McDonald’s donated apple slices and Go-Gurt yogurt.
As one service, Sioux Center Health offered car seat safety checks. Twenty car seats were checked, and 12 new ones were given out. Only one seat did not need to have any adjustment made to it in the vehicle.
 |
| Felix Alcover does a caricature drawing for a self-esteem activity during the block party. |
The Walmart Foundation helped make the event possible with a $500 grant.
Jacob Bossman, regional director for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, visited and took a tour of Promise during the event. He was impressed by the growth Promise has experienced in programs, facilities and services and by the number of children and families attending the Back-to-School Block Party.
To see many photos from the event, check out multiple posts on Promise’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PromiseCHC.
Promise Community Health Center, headquartered in Sioux Center, is the only Federally Qualified Health Center in the far northwest corner of Iowa. To learn more, visit www.promisechc.org.
