Special To The Daily Journal

The 2009 Kids’ Day program at FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital will have a greater-than-ever focus on nutrition and weight issues relating to children.

Members of the Richmond County 2020 Vision Committee will be on hand to assist Dr. Patrick Egbe’s staff from Choice Pediatrix, a Rockingham pediatric clinic, as they compute Body Mass Index (BMI) percentiles for participating children. Dr. Egbe will also be available to talk to parents about childhood weight and nutritional needs.

“We really want parents to see the importance of having a healthy weight in their children, and to learn what is really healthy as opposed to the chubby cheeks and chubby bodies we used to consider healthy,” says Amy Hamilton, who coordinates Kids’ Day programming for the sponsoring FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Kids’ Day activities will get under way at 9 a.m. on Saturday and continue, rain or shine, until noon. The program is free and open to all area children and their parents or caregivers.

Another physician-based focus for the day will feature Dr. Andrew Doolittle, a Richmond County ear, nose and throat specialist, who will be at an “Ask the ENT” booth to answer questions on ENT concerns and seasonal and environmental allergies while members of his staff conduct hearing screenings.

Dr. Masoud Ahdieh, a Richmond County pediatrician, and his staff will do asthma screenings while another local pediatrician, Dr. Shamsul Khan, and his staff will do ear checks.

In addition to the health-oriented activities, the children who attend Kids’ Day will have the opportunity to have some fun, including the chance to meet a couple of cool dogs who have cool jobs.

Breston and Leica are police dogs assigned to the Rockingham Police Department. The two Belgian Malinois canine “officers” will be at Kids’ Day with their police handlers, Officer Glen Harris and Officer Andy Ansley.

“It’s interesting to see how the officers interact with these official service dogs,” says Hamilton. “And the children will be able to see the difference between a service dog (one who has an actual job) and a house pet. We’re excited to have them come.”

A new addition to Kids’ Day this year will be the Hamlet Police Department’s Safety Traffic Trailer, a “mobile classroom” with information on traffic safety and vehicular injury prevention as well as general safety messages on such areas as biking and water safety.

Agencies scheduled to participate in the Kids’ Day program include the Richmond Memorial Hospital Pharmacy; the Richmond County Health Department, which can provide on-site vaccination updates; and Safe Kids. Personnel from the Rockingham Police Department will be available to do identification cards for children.

Other features will include lead screenings, car seat safety checks, a hand-washing station and healthy snacks as well as fire truck and ambulance tours and a Moon Bounce.

Interested?

For more information for the 2009 Kids’ Day program at FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital, call (800) 213-3284.