GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Thousands of Green Valley residents and visitors flocked to the 23rd annual KGVY Senior Boomer Fair today at Desert Hills Lutheran Church.
Hosted by KGVY Radio, the event brought together over fifty vendors, nonprofits and volunteer organizations, with a special focus on promoting health and wellness among older adults.
The Boomer Fair, one of the most popular events in the Green Valley area, offered free health screenings and vital resources, underscoring the importance of preventative care and community support.
“Boomer Fair is all about, to me, above everything, health,” said KGVY Radio host Guy Atchley. “All kinds of free screenings, including vision, skin cancer, blood pressure, and so much more.”
With health as the cornerstone of the fair, organizations, such as the Community Health Center, offered a range of essential services, including blood pressure checks, glucose testing and diabetic foot exams.
“It’s going to eliminate more visits to the ER,” Edilia Quiroz, outreach manager at the United Community Health Center, explained of the medical tests. “We just want to be part of the community and represent what we’re doing.”
The Lion’s Club also provided participants with free vision tests, which has become a specialty for the organization.
“We’ve screened about 85 people so far today,” said Del Zander, a volunteer of 30 years at the Lion’s Club. “Also, during the year, between all the children in schools, we’ve screened about 3,500 hundred kids.”
The organization also collects used eyeglasses to distribute to over 20 countries for those unable to afford them.
While physical health was a prominent theme, emotional wellness also received significant attention.
Green Valley Cares, a local nonprofit, highlighted the lesser-known but critical issue of loneliness. The all-volunteer organization makes home visits to older adults suffering from loneliness, or provides phone calls, “depending on the comfort” of the client.
“We recognize that loneliness is the biggest health issue in the United States today,” said Lynne Severe, founder of Green Valley Cares. “What happens when you’re alone is the body breaks and other health issues intervene.”
Severe spoke positively of the Boomer Fair’s ability to bring the community together.
“It’s really wonderful because the networking that is going on here is remarkable,” she said. “It certainly is the goal of many here to be able to complete the needs of all the residents here.”
Cynthia Wolcott, founder of All Seasons Geriatric Care and Management, also spoke of the need for comfort and connection. She started her organization one year ago after serving as a social worker and working in hospice care for 30 years and describes herself as “the daughter you always wanted next door.”
“We’re an aging community and it’s not an easy journey,” Wolcott said. With All Seasons, she provides grief groups, caregiver support groups and technology support for older adults.
Judy Schmidt of Green Valley has visited the Senior Boomer Fair for years, and enjoyed learning about new opportunities to volunteer, such as the Animal League of Green Valley. She also took advantage of the free testing available.
“I love the fact that we can have different medical tests done,” she said. “I did have a sun test done to see if I had any sun damage."
The Green Valley Council estimated they expected between 2,000 to 2,200 attendees at the event, showcasing the fair’s importance as a hub for health resources, community connections and awareness.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
