Staff Reports
For the first time, the Gallup Senior Center and the Non-Metro New Mexico Area Agency on Aging are partnering to host a health fair for local seniors.
The Route 66 Senior Health Fair runs from 10 am to 2 pm Aug. 26 at the senior center, located at 607 N. Fourth St. The event connects older adults with both local and state health vendors.
Program Manager Steve Wargo noted that 35 vendors will participate in the event. Attendees can connect with healthcare providers like Gallup Community Health, Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital, and Ambercare Personal Care Services. Nutritionists will discuss healthy eating habits and an auditory specialist will offer free hearing tests, while representatives from Adult Protective Services, Mom’s Meals, Gallup Community Pantry, and Amazing Grace Personal Care Services will provide additional community resources.
The event is open to anyone aged 60 and older. Non-members can sign up on-site by completing a brief assessment covering health details, living conditions, daily meals, and current medications. Guests can enjoy free pizza, cookies, oranges, and water, or opt for the senior center’s standard lunch menu.
The idea for the fair grew out of a conversation during the legislative session’s Senior Day at the Roundhouse, when a representative from the Non-Metro New Mexico Area Agency on Aging approached Wargo to suggest a joint event.
Organizers hope to make the health fair an annual tradition. Wargo expects to host even more vendors next year once the center moves into a larger facility later this year
“I think we have a lot of seniors who don’t know what resources are available to them, and this health fair will give them the opportunity to see what resources are available to them.”
The Sun is sponsoring the Route 66 Senior Health Fair, and will be handing out tote bags to the first five guests who sign up for a one-year subscription to the paper.
