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Sending students off for a summer of fun with a healthy bang was the reason behind the first annual Health Fair at Sand Lake Elementary School held Monday.

The health curriculum committee, including school nurse Susan Cieslicki, Mary Johnson, Robin George and health assistant Holly Britain, organized the all-school affair.

The health fair was designed to have fresh on students’ minds thoughts of healthy activities and accident prevention. Representatives from the Holmen Area Fire Department, the YMCA and YWCA, Safe Kids of the Coulee Region, the Coulee Region Childhood Obesity Coalition and Gundersen Lutheran dermatology and nutrition therapy departments gave presentations to the children.

Holmen fire inspector Brent Ashbacher parked the HAFD’s ladder truck by the school and asked the students how many of them had seen wildfires on television and how they think those fires got started. Most of them thought it was from matches, but Ashbacher told them most of wildfires are started from campfires from families camping out. So he reminded them that if they go camping to make sure they practice good fire safety.

Ashbacher also told students that wearing a bicycle helmet saved his 5-year-old daughter’s life. She was on her bike when someone in a car backed into her. “She had some bruises and scrapes,” Ashbacher said, “but she wasn’t hurt because she was wearing her helmet. It saved her life.”

It was hard avoiding the students practicing bike riding on adaptive bicycles around the gymnasium floor. It was harder than they thought and most struggled trying to switch from the usual foot pedaling to hand pedaling the bikes.

Lisa Mathson, youth activities program director with the YWCA, was teaching the students about bike safety and water safety. “We want to give them experience, education and awareness of children with disabilities,” Mathson said.

Healthy bones and calcium were the topic of Beth Balder-Schroeder, a nurse practitioner from Gundersen Lutheran and a representative of the Coulee Region Childhood Obesity Coalition. She was leading the groups through jumping jacks and other exercises they can do safely.

“Kids are more sedentary than when we were kids,” Balder-Schroeder said. “They can’t go out and play like we used to because of safety concerns these days.”

Students oohed and aahed at the exhibit showing the layers of skin and Dr. Steve Webster, a dermatologist at Gundersen Lutheran, warned them about sunburns.

“How many of you have had sunburns?” he asked. They all raised their hands.

“How many of you would put your hands on a hot stove?” No one answered.

“Then why did you get a sunburn,” Webster asked. “Getting a sunburn is as bad as putting your hand on a hot stove. It damages the skin.”

Oversized exhibits of teeth and gums also grabbed students’ attention at the display on how to protect the teeth. They also got to create healthy meals using a food pyramid. And they had fun trying on different safety equipment such as life vests for swimming and boating, bike helmets, sunglasses, hats and other equipment designed to protect the body.

That was the message from the staff to the students: “Have a fun and safe summer!”