"HEALTH CARE AWARENESS DAY" EVENT TO TAKE PLACE THIS SATURDAY

Bulldog Athletics Teaming Up With Colleges To Offer Various Screening Activities

Athletics Tripleheader Saturday

Ferris State will hold a "Health Care Awareness Day" event in conjunction with an athletics tripleheader this Saturday. "Think Pink Day" will also be held during the FSU basketball games versus Lake Superior State to help support breast cancer awareness (Photo Courtesy Sandy Gholston)

Bulldog Athletics will be partnering with the Colleges of Allied Health, Optometry and Pharmacy on the FSU campus for the inter-professional event. As part of the day's activities, informational and screening events will be conducted free of charge for fans attending the day's contests from 1-8 p.m. (EDT) inside the facility.

The FSU women's and men's basketball teams host Lake Superior State in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) action at 1 p.m. (EST) and 3 p.m. (EST), respectively, inside Jim Wink Arena. The Bulldog hockey team then hosts Miami (Ohio), which was ranked number one in the nation last week, Saturday evening with the puck for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) encounter set to drop at 7:05 p.m. (EST) at the Ewigleben Ice Arena.

"Health Care Awareness Day" will feature informational displays and materials for those interested in a variety of medical areas including diabetes, immunizations, heartburn, hypertension, oral health and eye health. In addition, diabetes, hypertension, oral cancer and general health screenings will be performed by students and professional staff from the colleges.

The screenings will take place in the lobby area between Jim Wink Arena and the Ewigleben Ice Arena and overlap the times of both the basketball and hockey events. Free parking will be available until 5:30 p.m. (EST) after which time regular parking rates will be enforced for Bulldog hockey.

The free community health screening event will also help FSU Athletics support an important NCAA strategic objective of community outreach by member schools.

"This free inter-professional community health screening event, held in conjunction with Ferris home basketball and hockey games, clearly helps FSU meet the NCAA strategic objective of community outreach by member schools and to our knowledge is the only of event of its kind at an NCAA school in Michigan and quite possibly one of the few of its kind in the nation," said Eric Jarvi, who is FSU's Assistant Dean and Department Head of Pharmaceutical Services in the College of Pharmacy.

NCAA Division II athletic programs across the nation have been working together for the past 12 - 18 months to use the athletic department of each member institution as a bridge to the local community, according to FSU Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic.

"This community engagement concept integrates the athletic program and the university as the 'town square' of the community," he said. "We are excited to have begun to develop this relationship with our Allied Health academic staff and for this activity to be the kick off event for the Ferris State/Big Rapids NCAA Community Engagement movement."

The "Health Care Awareness Day" event will also coincide with FSU's first-ever "Think Pink Day", which will take place during the basketball doubleheader. "Think Pink Day" is an important initiative sponsored by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association to promote Breast Cancer Awareness.

Ferris State Athletics will be donating $1 from each paid ticket sold during the basketball "Think Pink" effort to benefit the Susan P. Wheatlake Women's Cancer and Wellness Fund, which will have representatives at the contest. The Susan P. Wheatlake Women's Cancer and Wellness Center, which is a comprehensive and integrated Mecosta County Medical Center resource, supports women during the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery from cancer physically, medically, emotionally as well as financially. Services and funding for the center are provided through a collaborative partnership between the Mecosta County Medical Center and its foundation.

All surviving cancer patients are encouraged to attend "Think Pink Day" and wear pink for free admission to the basketball doubleheader. A variety of activities will take place in conjunction with the event. Additionally, the Bulldog women's basketball team and staff will wear special pink attire including shoelaces, socks and tshirts to help support the cause.

More information on the "Think Pink" activities can also be found at this link:
"Think Pink Day" Press Release