| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Hispanic Health Fair Draws Crowd
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS (AP) August 7, 2004 - An estimated 15,000 people crowded the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall on Saturday for the annual Hispanic Wellness Fair. Hundreds were lined up at the entrance before the doors opened at 9 a.m.
Lines for free immunizations snaked through the sprawling hall, and the wait just to fill out forms took about an hour. With the forms in hand, there was an additional 30- to 45-minute wait for the shots.
It was nearly as crowded in the lines for mammograms and prostate and cholesterol screenings. But who could complain when everything was free?
There was practically no wait to donate blood.
Everywhere, families, many with baby strollers, collected dozens of informational pamphlets available in Spanish as well as English and covering everything from AIDS to the Women's Haven. There were more than 120 booths.
Children scrambled to collect free toys, school supplies, bicycle helmets, T-shirts and toothbrushes.
This was the sixth annual fair sponsored by the University of North Texas Health Science Center and dozens of other organizations.
Parking was hard to come by. At one overflow lot across the street, dozens of cars were stuck in a gridlock, and some drivers had to wait hours to get out. |
|
www.godem.org |