Top Stories From Homer, Alaska

Compared to 2006, there was a 10 percent increase in the number of individuals taking advantage of the blood screening. In the days before this year's fair began, 252 were screened with another 575 screened at the fair.

"I feel confident that we'll be at 1,000 by the end of this week," Ferraro said.

Twenty individuals signed up to be organ donors, which is similar to the 21 that completed the donor forms in 2005. Statistics for 2006 are unavailable.

Sixty-two youth participated in vision screening, with 21 of them referred to a professional eye doctor based on the results, according to Ferraro. In 2006, 46 individuals had their hearing tested. This year, that number increased by 10, with five of them referred to a specialist based on the results.

The number of blood pressure tests given this year was 170, a significant increase from the 95 given in 2005.

Sixty-five flu immunizations also were given at the fair.

And all of that, plus the distribution of information on a wide variety of health-related topics, was done by 71 exhibitors and a volunteer force numbering 230.

"The fact is that we're still meeting a need," Ferraro said. "If the numbers were starting to go down, that's when you start saying, 'Hmm, maybe Homer is taking care of itself,' but the fact that the numbers are staying the same and rising says we're still providing a service that's needed."

Among those visiting the fair were health care providers and Rotarians from the Russia Moscow-East Rotary Club, District 2220.

Photo by McKibben Jackinsky Bearing good tidings about health are these angels from Dr. David Nelson's dental practice - Shayla Smith, left, and Dori Hagen.

Among the group were representatives from a pharmaceutical company, a dentist, the head of a clinic and a psychotherapist.

"Basically, they're typical people involved in health fairs, people from the medical world that have an interest in the preventive side of things and screenings for preventable diseases," Files said.

While in Alaska, the group also paid visits to the Alaska Regional Hospital and the Alaska Health Fair office in Anchorage, as well as Valley Hospital in Palmer.

Files summed up this year's health fair with one word: excellent.

"I think a good time was had by all," he said. "Good energy. Good enthusiasm"

With an eye toward making next year's 25th anniversary of the Rotary Health Fair even bigger and better, Ferraro said planning will begin in March rather that August. Pointing to the increase in blood screening as an indicator of the fair's importance, she said, "We ran out of pre-registration spots (for blood screening) and that's never happened before."

Photo by McKibben Jackinsky Using real pig lungs, Char Florence of NInilchik Traditional Council demonsrates the difference smoking has on the body's ability to breathe.