Dee Dee Segal, far left; Starr Litton, left; Cassandra Hawthorne, middle; Lauren Sanew, right; and Amanda Sagun, far right, helped staff tables at the TMCC Health and Wellness Fair.
Baskets of fruit, brightly colored polo shirts and people chatting and laughing – these colors and sounds infused the atmosphere at TMCC’s Health and Wellness Fair, held in the V. James Eardley Student Center on Dec. 3.
A generous donation by Maria Sheehan, PhD, President of TMCC, made it possible for the Health and Wellness Fair to feature vendor booths, raffles and Zumba and Yoga sessions, said Amanda Sagun, event organizer and Classified Council Treasurer. Julia Bledsoe, Program Officer in Assessment and Planning also helped plan the Fair.
TMCC Dietetic Technician Program majors were staffing the Student Dietetic Association table and giving out Cuties Mandarins. Many of TMCC’s staff are enrolled in graduate classes, and the future dieticians provided tips for faculty undergrads and grads, and TMCC students.
“Students should remember to eat healthy snacks during the day at finals time, because when you get very busy, you forget to eat and then suddenly realize you feel really hungry,” said Michael Gentiluomo. “So, have a granola bar or bag of nuts in your backpack, a fruit that doesn’t bruise easily, like a Cutie orange, apple or banana.”
They agreed that it’s better to keep a few nutritious items with you than to build up a big hunger that only a fat- and salt-filled fast food meal can satisfy.
Fresh Bosc pears and apples were offered at Basket Case Organics’ table. This local business offers three sizes of customizable organic fruit and vegetable baskets delivered to homes or offices.
Three fitness center booths were at Fair tables close by.
TMCC Fitness Center offers personal trainers, cardio and strength-training equipment, fitness assessments, showers and lockers. Discounted memberships also apply to TMCC students’ and staff members’ spouses and domestic partners. TMCC’s Workforce Development and Community Education joined the Fitness Center booth to provide information about wellness and fitness classes that are offered for the community; including dance, TRX Suspension Training, Pilates, Tai Chi, yoga, meditation, mental health first aid and many others.
Representing TMCC yoga classes and Yoga Loka was Kim Allcock. Yoga Loka offered a 20 percent discount on class packages to TMCC employees.
Fitness Connection offered seven-day VIP guest passes to either of its Reno-Sparks locations. Saint Mary’s Center for Health & Fitness provided information about their aquatics, Pilates, yoga, senior fitness, indoor cycling, strength training, personal trainers, and other services.
At the Weight Watchers® table, TMCC staff members asked about a highly anticipated change in the popular program called “Beyond the Scale.”
“It’s not just about the numbers on the scale, it’s about feeling strong and healthy, being fit – the new slim is being strong,” said Jane McDonald, Weight Watchers® coach. “People are now much more concerned about being healthy than just being thin.”
Reflecting current research, the point system is changing from categories of carbs, protein, fiber and fat to sugar, protein, calories and saturated fat, because top emphasis will be placed on health. McDonald and her fellow coach Jani Jenkins agreed that there is plenty of information available to the public, but that sometimes people need emotional support during a weight loss regimen.
“This is encouragement to have the follow-through in reaching goals,” McDonald said. “It’s the ‘how do I take the science and incorporate this into my life?’ And sometimes part of that is to just laugh at yourself, or give support to each other.”
The University of Nevada School of Medicine Wellness & Weight Management Center also hosted a booth at the Fair. The clinic offers customizable wellness visits and structured weight-loss programs, such as Health Management Resources® (HMR), a weight-loss method often used in the medical community.
The State of Nevada Public Employees’ Benefits Program hosted a table with information about HealthSCOPE health savings account (HSA) debit cards.
Physical and Mental Health Encouraged
A holistic approach to wellness includes mental health, as well.
TMCC’s Counseling Center displayed fliers on tips for reducing anxiety, coping with grief and loss, listening skills with respectful responses, and stress management tips.
Camille Sun Vega, Suicide Prevention Coordinator at TMCC, offered Suicide Prevention Lifeline magnets, auto air fresheners and business card-sized suicide warning sign information. She said the Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) will talk to students that are very stressed out to the point they cannot sleep at night, and that it doesn’t have to reach the point of thinking about suicide for the Lifeline to be a saving resource.
Nevada Prevention Resource Center also offers information about suicide prevention, among many other topics of interest to community members, such as navigating teen years, mixing prescription medicines with alcohol, women’s health, and many others.
“Clearinghouse materials – brochures, DVDs from organizations, and kits are available free to Nevadans,” said Leslie Marlowe, Associate Project Coordinator. “Substance abuse counselors, mental health counselors and a number of coalitions such as Join Together Northern Nevada and the Statewide Native American Coalition can access these materials.”
Many of the businesses and organizations at the Wellness Fair donated raffle prizes to TMCC’s staff, including Reno Running Company, Integrated Spinal Solutions, and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
For more information about the TMCC Classified Council, please call Sagun at 775-337-5623.
Health and Wellness Fair Raffle Winners:
- Cassandra Hawthorne – Fitness Connection certificate
- Donna Ballard – TMCC Fitness Center, three personal training sessions
- Jackie Draper – Argenta concert tickets
- Brandie Davis – Reno Philharmonic concert tickets
- Patti Freeman – One-hour massage at the TMCC Massage Clinic
- Felicia Nichols – One-hour massage at the TMCC Massage Clinic
- Sidney Sullivan – Fitbit Charge blue
- Melanie Purdy – Fitbit Charge purple
- Kim Allcock – Fitbit Charge black
- Megan – Weight Watchers Grazing Pack
- John Trentalange – Hydroflask white
- Karen Adams – Hydroflask red
- Debra Buringrud – Hydroflask orange
- Cindy Martin – Hydroflask black
- Elizabeth Ortiz – Coca-Cola Bean Bag Toss
- Dee Dee Segal – Coca-Cola fleece blanket
- Donna Maxfield – Coca-Cola fleece blanket
- Charlotte Lee – Integrated Spinal Solutions service package
- Linda Walker – Kaia FIT gift certificate Brik or Core Session
- Humberto Hernandez – FastTrack Water Bottle and USB battery pack
- Staci Miller - FastTrack Water Bottle and USB battery pack
- Gracie De La Torre - FastTrack Water Bottle and USB battery pack
- Jean Lampson – Reno Running Company certificate
- Carole Chouinard - Reno Running Company certificate
- Cynthia Olivo - Reno Running Company certificate
- Travis Sharpe - Reno Running Company certificate
- Alex Mathiesen – Cal Men’s Basketball tickets
- Nancy Quintero – Stanford Men’s Basketball tickets
- Gary Skibinski – Basket Case Organics fruit basket