Gilpin County’s annual Health and Wellness Fair, held May 9 at the Community Center, drew residents for fitness demonstrations, wellness booths, health screenings, and the Spring Wined-Up 5K run and walk fundraiser benefiting the Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center. Thirty-three runners participated, with Jack Forrest taking first place, David Femmer finishing second, and Barbara Goranson placing third.
The fair featured free health screenings including blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and blood oxygen testing through Gilpin County Public Health. Programming included a STOP THE BLEED class, martial arts demonstrations, wellness presentations, and booths on physical health, mental health, recovery resources, wildfire mitigation, senior services, and youth programs.
One of the most discussed services was free blood lead testing for children and pregnant women, connected to the region’s history of mining contamination from the Central City/Clear Creek Superfund Site. The site stretches across a 400-square-mile watershed from the Continental Divide to near Golden and includes communities such as Central City, Black Hawk, Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Empire, and Silver Plume. It was added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List in 1983 because of contamination from historic mining and milling activities.
Gilpin County Public Health Director Alisa Witt explained that many homes in the mountains were built near or on historic mining areas where tailings remain. Light-colored dirt piles containing historic mining waste carry lead dust, cadmium, and arsenic. Lead contamination can enter homes through dust tracked in on shoes or pets, and “it’s a much, much bigger problem for children because it affects your neurological system. It can cause permanent learning disabilities in children.” Witt said the county is primarily encouraging testing for young children, pregnant women, and people considering pregnancy.
Booths represented organizations including Timberline Fire Protection District, Gilpin Senior Services, Gilpin Mountain Kids, Resilience1220, Jefferson Center for Mental Health, CSU Extension, and Advocates for Recovery, which promoted new all-recovery meetings tentatively planned for Thursdays at the Community Center.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.themtnear.com/stories/health-fair-brings-wellness-awareness-gilpin-county-health-fitness,93466