On Oct. 13, the annual Wellness Fair was held in the fieldhouse for all gym classes. There were a variety of vendors who supported the event with display booths for students and faculty to visit.

The fair had vendors from Hinsdale Humane Society, Athletico, The Wellness House, Right Fit, MFC Sports Performance, Hinsdale Police Department, Linden Oaks, and many others.

“I liked that it provided a variety of options and catered to many interests. I also liked the interactive aspects at many of the stations. My favorite part was versing friends on the rowing machines with MFC,” said Sarah Steil, junior.

The students were able to participate in several activities that may have been introduced to them for the first time.

“My favorite part was the different activities that the Hinsdale Fire Department had us do,” said Natalie Wienold, sophomore.

After the fair takes place, the students’ opinions help the planners decide what changes they will make the following year.

“We are still waiting for everybody to finalize their feedback. We put a survey on everyone’s Google Classroom, and we are making sure we get all the information back first. From my observation, I would definitely say we would keep the comfort and therapy dogs because [that station] was a big hit,” said Ms. Janelle Marconi, Physical Education Department Chair. “I would also keep the interactive assessments, including the chiropractors who talked about spine, back, and neck health.”

A lot of organizing goes into the fair, and it takes time to make sure the event is worth the effort.

“We have a school wellness committee which is most of the members of our physical education department. We start this a year in advance, so last fall, we started finding a date that would work well. The biggest part of it is trying to find vendors,” Ms. Marconi said. “The fair does take a year of planning, setting up, and working with all the building and grounds employees.”