"Women are caregivers and the last one they take care of is themselves. So, we wanted to take a day to focus on women and their well-being," said Annie Tomlinson, interim director of the Mount Sterling Community Center, which is hosting its first Woman’s Wellness Day on Jan. 12.
The wheels on the Wellness Day concept began turning earlier this year when Community Center organizers learned that Madison County has the highest rate of breast cancer in the state. The event will address breast cancer and so much more.
Open to the public, the event costs $15 per person or $12 for women age 60 or older.
Tickets may be purchased ahead of time or at the door. Either way, participants are asked to call the center to make a reservation so that food can be ordered accordingly. A continental breakfast and a luncheon of vegetable lasagna and salad are included in the ticket price.
Between 9 and 10 a.m., participants can enjoy breakfast, bid on silent auction items, and visit over 17 different displays and vendors.
The first set of speakers is scheduled to take the podium between 10 a.m. and noon. They include Mona Flax, executive director of the Madison County Hospital Foundation, whose topic will be breast cancer awareness. Flax is a breast cancer survivor. Nena Dillon, president of the Madison County Diabetes Association, will cover facts about diabetes.
Linda Stoer Skaggs, Ph.D., will talk about stress and stress relief. Formerly from Mount Sterling and currently living in Granville, Skaggs travels to Mount Sterling once a week to provide free counseling from a Christian perspective to 16 individuals at the Community Center.
Ben Carignan from the Grove City YMCA will cover the topic of women and exercise.
During the lunch break, the Dress Barn will put on a style show featuring the latest fashions modeled by local women.
The afternoon will feature another slate of speakers. Eva Dimel, author of "Hopes in the Storms," will talk about coping with and overcoming hardships. The Grove City resident has written two collections of inspirational poetry.
Mari Dezago, a personal wellness lifestyle coach, is on the agenda, as is Mary Burns, a prevention coordinator from the Madison County Department of Family and Children First. Burns’ topic will be parenting skills and child care.
"If we have time, we will hold a question and answer period. We should be done with everything by 3 p.m.," Tomlinson said.
At the close of the event, top bidders in the silent auction will be announced. All proceeds will go to the general operating expenses of the Community Center.
Participants also will be eligible for door prizes, which include an overnight stay at Deer Creek Resort in Mount Sterling.
Corporate sponsors for the Woman’s Wellness Day are Mount Sterling Pharmacy and Lisa Arbogast of Eye Candy Creative. Pettit Stores is sponsoring the continental breakfast.
The Mount Sterling Community Center is located at 164 E. Main St. To purchase tickets or get more information, call 740-869-2453.
