Health Revival Returns To Harlem

 HARLEM – Persevering in an ongoing charge to revitalize the Harlem community’s commitment to living healthy lives, the Central Harlem Health Revival (CHHR) will hold its 5th annual Central Harlem Health Revival on Saturday, September 18; Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26. Festivities held at various Harlem locations on these two weekends will include an obesity conference, a youth health conference, a health walk and the annual health festival. All events are free and open to the public.

“Autumn is a time when we tend to fall back into our regular routines. We at CHHR challenge the community this Autumn to fall into a healthier routine. Don’t simply hit the restart button and yield to the automatic pilot. Make a real effort to jump start, or ramp up your commitment to truly making health a habit,” said Patricia Butts, Central Harlem Health Revival Co-Chair. “Dying of preventable diseases in high numbers is not acceptable. We can live healthy and be active, even on a budget. We are inviting the community to come to our events and find out how to live healthy abundant lives and then pass on healthy habits to their children. We can Make Health our Habit,” said Mrs. Butts. 

Central Harlem Health Revival events are specifically designed to combat high rates of stroke, pulmonary disease, diabetic complications, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS and the devastating impact these illnesses have on the Harlem community. Over the past five years CHHR has tested over 300 residents and is aiming to test over 500 at this year’s health festival. “CHHR shares in the philosophy that if healthcare is left alone to physicians and other healthcare professionals like myself, it is doomed to fail,” explains Dr. Olajide Williams, Director of the Stroke Initiatives, Harlem Hospital Center and CHHR Co-Chair. “We are all stakeholders. Through CHHR activities such as these being planned, including health screenings and focused health education, communities take responsibility for their health, and join the fight against health disparities,” stated Dr. Williams. 


Central Harlem Health Revival 5th Anniversary Festivities 

Saturday, September 18 
Obesity: It’s a Family Affair (ages 12+) 
9:30a.m. – 2:30p.m. 
Thurgood Marshall Academy 
200 West 135th Street 
New York, NY 10030 

Obesity: It’s a Family Affair – This day long conference promotes the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. Workshops will give people of all ages tools they can use to make informed decisions on healthy eating and living. The day will also feature The Healthy Harlem Recipe Contest, which will show that healthy food can be tasty and affordable. Highlights will include performances by the winners of The Fat Truth: A Youth Essay, Poster and Spoken Word Contestfor youth ages 12 -21, as well as games, workshops, raffles and youth skits. Special guests appearances. 

Saturday, September 25 
Youth Health Celebration 
9:30a.m. – 4:30p.m. 
Minisink Townhouse/ NYC Mission Society 
646 Lenox Avenue 
(at 142nd Street) 
New York, NY 10037 

Youth Health Celebration – In-depth workshops will expose youth to the realness of diabetes, STDs, stroke, unplanned pregnancy and unhealthy relationships. Forums on sexting, cyber bullying, peer pressure, puberty and hygiene will also be held as CHHR aims to empower the lives of Harlem youth. Community resources offer free information on childcare, college readiness, financial literacy, job training and mentorship. Screenings for HIV, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and vision will also be provided for youth and parents. Live entertainment, special guests, raffle prizes, refreshments and giveaways will also be included. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. 


Sunday, September 26 
Health Walk – It’s A Health Thing! 
2:00p.m. 
Starts at 126th Street and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Blvd. 

5th Anniversary Health Festival 
Festival directly follows walk 
Jackie Robinson Park 
Entrance at 148th Street and Bradhurst Avenue 

Health Walk – It’s A Health Thing! & 5th Anniversary Health Festival– All of the community is invited to the flagship event of the 5th Anniversary festivities, the Health Walk and Health Festival. Registrants of the walk and organizations will walk from 126th Street between Frederick Douglass and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevards to Jackie Robinson Park. As participants walk The Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Starlighters Pathfinder Club Band will lead the walk and play to encourage participants to keep walking towards a healthier lifestyle. (There was to be another band. I’ll check on it today and if so will get the name.) Once walkers arrive at Jackie Robinson Park there will be entertainment, games and free health screenings. For those who want or require it, festival participants can be chaperoned through the festival by specialists called “Patient Navigators.” As Patient Navigators accompany a participant to festival areas they will offer one-on-one information and answer health questions specific to participant’s needs. 

About Central Harlem Health Revival 
The Central Harlem Health Revival was created in 2006 by The Office of Minority Health of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Borough of Manhattan Ecumenical Advisory Group (BMEAG) to address the magnitude of the disparity in the quality of the health and health care of Central Harlem residents compared with New York City as a whole. CHHR aims to promote a spiritual renewal in the Harlem community’s commitment to living healthy lives. CHHR partners with houses of worship and community organizations, hospitals, and universities to plan and implement the CHHR Revival at the end of each September, while offering other health-driven activities occurring throughout the year. CHHR revival events are specifically designed to empower community residents to truly manage their health and to combat the high rates of preventable diseases and their devastating impact on the Harlem community.