ShareOver 3,800 Medical and Dental Visits Recorded for Kids Days 2013!

There were more than 3,800 medical and dental visits recorded at the Health and Dental Centers for Kids Days 2013!

The outstanding attendance for the three-day health fair last week provides additional evidence that members have come to recognize how valuable the Benefit Funds Office’s health awareness events are. In fact, Kids Days is easily one of the most popular events on the Union’s calendar. And that’s good news because in addition to the great fun it provides, Kids Days also affords children and their parents with a valuable health education.  

As always, the staff members at each of Health and Dental Centers went all out to make Kids Days the huge triumph it was. This year’s theme was “The Beach,” and many staff members were decked out in colorful apparel. This kind of festive atmosphere is only one reason why Kids Days has become such an anticipated and popular event. Another reason is that parents recognize that Kids Days is probably the best possible way to introduce their young children to doctors and dentists. In addition, Kids Days does a superb job of teaching children the importance of taking care of themselves, while doing so in a very relaxed and very entertaining atmosphere.

Indeed, all sorts of entertainment kept children thoroughly engaged throughout the three-day event. The Health and Dental Centers also offered toys and games, gift bags, and other specialty items while conducting health screenings and providing health education to children at a time in their lives when it is sure to make a large and permanent impact.

As always, staff members at the Health Centers and the Midtown Dental Center pulled out all the stops to make the event a huge success, coordinating dozens of activities that kept children (and, yes, parents, too) happily occupied. Various games provided lots of laughter, and there were clowns present to get the kids dancing. In Queens, many of the children played indoor volleyball. Face painting and balloon sculptures added to the fun. There were raffles throughout the day at every facility, with the winners receiving book bags containing school supplies, as well as beach bags and beach towels, in keeping with the theme of this year’s Kids Days. 

But the fun and festivities did not deter from the most important goal of the event, which is to make children feel comfortable and secure with doctors and dentists. That goal is particularly helpful for children who are using Kids Days to visit one of the Health or Dental Centers for the first time. The feeling of trust that develops between children and medical and/or dental personnel on Kids Days has benefits that can last a lifetime. Too often, adults are reluctant to have medical or dental check-ups because they remember that they found these experiences painful or uncomfortable when they were children. Kids Days helps ensure that our members’ children will view visits to doctors and dentists far differently, both now and in the future. We should add that many current members learned from the Kids Days experience, attending years ago and now bringing their own children to the event.

Once again this year young children were not the only visitors to Kids Days that found the experience both fun and educational. More than a few parents told Hotel Voice they were having a great time at the event.

Some familiar favorites returned in 2013. As an example, FDNY firefighters were on hand to give safety tips and to share advice on keeping children safe.

There were areas where children had their heights and weights measured, their eyesight and hearing checked, and other tests performed. There were opportunities to learn important nutrition information. There were visits with doctors for health screening exams and visits with dentists for cleanings and oral hygiene lessons. Many parents found Kids Days to be the perfect event to have their children’s school health papers filled out. As always, all of these things were accomplished without any appointments being necessary!

Not surprisingly, members who spoke with Hotel Voice once again gave extremely high ratings to this year’s Kids Days. Many also used the event to register their children for Health Center services or to make future appointments. And, as we mentioned, many children received the health documentation that they will need when they soon return to school. All in all, Kids Days 2013 lived up to the success of its predecessors, providing fun for the whole family while performing a valuable health service for all.