Northshore Health Centers and SouthShore Gary RailCats Partner Together For Annual Health Fair

Northshore Health Centers and SouthShore Gary RailCats Partner Together For Annual Health Fair

While it may not seem like it, baseball and taking care of the community have one very important thing in common: neither can happen without teamwork.

For the fourth year in a row, the SouthShore Gary RailCats and NorthShore Health Center partnered together for an annual health fair that brings family services and community fun together. Sunday’s game was the perfect place for the two to connect.

“We have a season long partnership with them,” said the stadium’s General Manager, Brian Luter. “A key part of that is this annual health fair. It is a great opportunity for them to get their name, their information, and their services out to our 165,000 fans. It takes a lot of team effort and hard work to pull it off.”

Fans browsed almost a dozen vendor booths while the RailCats played against the Sioux City Explorers in the field below. NorthShore booths provided free blood pressure testing and health screenings for fans. Other vendors, like Neighbors’ Educational Opportunities and Geminus Corporation, offered information about the many services they offer. The Health Fair prepared families for everything from physicals to foster care opportunities.

“I love it,” said mother Nashanta Robinson. She brought her daughters to the game with her. “I’ve been with NorthShore for 6 years, 3 kids. The staff is great, the services are great. Something like this is too big to be a one man job. I’ve seen Gervay, Michelle, Laura- all of them, work together as a team to get it done.”

Thanks to their team efforts, the NorthShore staff were able to invite 250 guests to the Railcats game.

The Railcats did their part, too. The giveaway staff tossed t-shirts and stress balls with NorthShore’s logo into the crowd. They also let NorthShore decide who would throw the traditional “first pitch.”

They got two volunteers, Skye Wilford and Ramon Delgado, to share the honor. Wilford pitched in memory of her brother, who passed away from cancer last year. Delgado threw on behalf of the Concerned Citizens of Gary and the Infamous Wolf’s Car Club.

“We love the Railcats,” said NorthShore’s Lead Community Outreach Coordinator, Denise Carpenter. “They are a great community partner, and we make a great team. This is where the community is, so it’s where we need and want to be. It’s a great place to come to. If we- the Railcats and NorthShore- didn’t have good teamwork we wouldn’t be able to put on this event for the people.”

For more information about the SouthShore Gary RailCats, go to www.railcatsbaseball.com, and for more information about Northshore Health Centers, go to www.northshorehealth.org