Free health fair in Carpentersville

A free health fair in Carpentersville will let local residents help themselves while helping others.

The Carpentersville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5915, in conjunction will several community organizations, is putting on the inaugural Community Health Fair and Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Dundee Township Senior Center, 665 Barrington Ave., Carpentersville.

Participants are asked to donate used hearing aids and eyeglasses, as well as a nonperishable food items for the FISH Food Pantry.

Dozens of vendors will provide health and wellness information to benefit participants of all ages, including information on how to eat healthy, as well as free screenings for blood sugar, breast cancer, oral cancer, blood pressure and vision services.

"I am very pleased that all of the organizations have gotten on board for such a worthwhile event," VFW Commander John Blanchard said in a news release. "By bringing the community organizations together, I hope that this will be the first of many group events and I will support this effort into becoming an annual event. Bringing the whole community together is really what this is all about and by doing so will result in a community that is tight-knit."

Local public safety agencies will also offer crime prevention and safety tips, fire prevention tools and road safety advice.

The Heartland Blood Center Mobile Unit will be on site collecting blood donations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., while staff from All Smiles Dental in Algonquin will perform "The Wizard of Teeth" for children at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Raffle prizes will be given away every half hour. Tickets are free, but visitors must be present to win.

For details, go to www.vfw5915.org or visit http://healthfair.vfw5915.org.