Editor:

To promote National Child Health Month in October, two Sevier County primary schools participated in a Child Health Fair. The Sevier County Family Resource Center along with the Sevier County Health Department and the Sevier County School System has been sponsoring two child health fairs every year for the last 14 years.

This year, the two schools were Pi Beta Phi and Seymour Primary. We could not have had such successful health fairs if we did not have the support of our school system as well as the community. Several area businesses stepped forward to donate items needed for both health fairs, and in doing so, they helped us educate around 900 Pre-Kindergarten through 3rd-grade children on health and safety issues.

Topics that were discussed with the children were dangers in smoking, lice prevention, exercise fun, nutrition, safety issues, personal hygiene, dental care, and the importance of drinking water and milk. We would like to thank the two schools along with thanking the following businesses and organizations for their donations as well as many donating their time:

American Red Cross, Bent Creek Golf Village, Citizens National Bank, Comfort Inn Apple Valley and Pigeon Forge, Dr. William David Campbell, Dr. Douglas Smith and Dr. Cathy Smith, Dr. Lee Roy Dyer and Dr. Bradley Dyer, Dr. David Trotter, Dr. Steve Morton, Dr. John Rader, Dr. Jon Shell and Dr. William Pippin, Dr. Steve Madison, Dr. Anuj Soni, Dr. Thomas and Dr. Wallace of Seymour Family Dentistry, Dr. Carney and Dr. Goksel of American Family Dentistry, East Tennessee Regional Health Office in Knoxville, Fairfield Inn Pigeon Forge, Kroger of Sevierville, LeConte Medical Center, Mountain Aire Motor Inn of Sevierville, Mountain National Bank, Oak Tree Lodge, Sevier County Health Department, Sevierville Community Center, Subway in Seymour, U.T. Agricultural Extension Agency, Wal-Mart of Sevierville and the many helpful volunteers.

We would like to offer a special thanks to Mr. Glenn Bogart, Principal of Pi Beta Phi Elementary School, and to Dr. Jan Moore, Principal of Seymour Primary School, and their staffs for allowing us the opportunity to educate their children on health issues and helping this event run smoothly.

Mary Blair Lee, School Food Service Coordinator

Kim Loveday, Sevier County Family Resources Center Director