The Filipino Cancer Network of America-Metropolitan Houston ( FCNA-MH)held its 2nd Annual Celebration of Life Health Fair and Picnic on Saturday, October 23,2010 at Kitty Hollow Park in Missouri City from 9:00AM- 4:00 PM. The event is a yearly tribute to all Cancer survivors, their families and caregivers. It was open to the public!
There were organizations that collaborated to make this health fair a success. The Philippine Nurses Association of Metropolitan Houston lead by the Community Outreach Chairperson, Vangie Masalta along with a group of Members and volunteers monitored blood pressures and Glucose (blood sugar) of all who were willing to sit down and visit their booth. They also have lots of brochures and literature on Hypertension, Diabetes and Heart Disease. MD Anderson Public Education had two booths, one for Anti-Smoking Campaign w/ Puscilla Ip, RN (from MD Anderson) as the volunteer tending the booth, and it was complete with their puppet displays and anti-smoking literature; another booth for Cancer Prevention was set up with al kinds of educational materials on general Cancer Prevention, Nutrition, schedule of recommended diagnostics, site specific information on various types of Cancer and information on MD Anderson. Garden Terrace and Vosswood Facility were represented by Tony Fernandez, MSW from Vosswood, who displayed various information materials of the two facilities. There were “give-aways” for all to take home from MDACC and from Garden Terrace and Vosswood.
It was a potluck lunch so most everyone brought their favorite dish (cooked or bought). There was plenty of food for all to partake that day. There were plenty of culinary delights to take home too after the event. It was also a fund-raising event where Ampy de la Paz, displayed her beautiful art of crocheting various shawls, bonnets, kitchen towels, etc. for sale and part of proceeds to benefit FCNA-MH. There were also red FCNA-MH t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, visors, caps and license plates for sale at the event. All the proceeds were for FCNA-MH coffer because there are no Membership fees to join the organizations and it survives through fund-raising and donations only.
The crowd started to gather around 10 am although the place was secured and set up by Vangie and Bing Masalta and Robert and Cherry Medrano at 9 AM. It was a very breezy day but the sky was blue and no clouds or rain to dampen the spirits of those who attended. It was a perfect set up for a picnic and health fair. Some members of the Ilocano Club and Lions Club also attended the health fair. The Ilocano Club was also having their annual picnic in a nearby cabaña. Once the Spiritual Adviser, Fr. Enrique Salen arrived around 11 am, the crowd was asked to gather around the Cancer Survivors while he prayed over them, anointed sacred oil on their foreheads and palms and prayed for those who were gone because of Cancer. Everyone lifted their hands in prayer over the survivors. It was a solemn ceremony and those presents there felt the spirituality of the event. This was followed by the most special and touching part of the day with Fr. Salen praying for all the Cancer survivors and the expired brethren due to Cancer while each one released either a red star shaped balloon for live survivor or white star shaped balloons for all those who died. Some of those present were so touched that you could see tears flowing down their cheeks as they gazed at the balloons fly off to the heavens. Fr. Salen then blessed the sumptuous meal when the balloons were nowhere in the blue sky. It was time to share all the food and drinks that the community brought.
It is a very memorable event that we hope to repeat every year to honor and celebrate all Cancer survivors and their families and caregivers. We hope to have more community participation in the next coming years. This organization is all about helping and sharing all those affected with Cancer so we hope the word will be out and spread among the Filipino community about this great organizations and its endeavors.
Cherry Sloan-Medrano
There were organizations that collaborated to make this health fair a success. The Philippine Nurses Association of Metropolitan Houston lead by the Community Outreach Chairperson, Vangie Masalta along with a group of Members and volunteers monitored blood pressures and Glucose (blood sugar) of all who were willing to sit down and visit their booth. They also have lots of brochures and literature on Hypertension, Diabetes and Heart Disease. MD Anderson Public Education had two booths, one for Anti-Smoking Campaign w/ Puscilla Ip, RN (from MD Anderson) as the volunteer tending the booth, and it was complete with their puppet displays and anti-smoking literature; another booth for Cancer Prevention was set up with al kinds of educational materials on general Cancer Prevention, Nutrition, schedule of recommended diagnostics, site specific information on various types of Cancer and information on MD Anderson. Garden Terrace and Vosswood Facility were represented by Tony Fernandez, MSW from Vosswood, who displayed various information materials of the two facilities. There were “give-aways” for all to take home from MDACC and from Garden Terrace and Vosswood.
It was a potluck lunch so most everyone brought their favorite dish (cooked or bought). There was plenty of food for all to partake that day. There were plenty of culinary delights to take home too after the event. It was also a fund-raising event where Ampy de la Paz, displayed her beautiful art of crocheting various shawls, bonnets, kitchen towels, etc. for sale and part of proceeds to benefit FCNA-MH. There were also red FCNA-MH t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, visors, caps and license plates for sale at the event. All the proceeds were for FCNA-MH coffer because there are no Membership fees to join the organizations and it survives through fund-raising and donations only.
The crowd started to gather around 10 am although the place was secured and set up by Vangie and Bing Masalta and Robert and Cherry Medrano at 9 AM. It was a very breezy day but the sky was blue and no clouds or rain to dampen the spirits of those who attended. It was a perfect set up for a picnic and health fair. Some members of the Ilocano Club and Lions Club also attended the health fair. The Ilocano Club was also having their annual picnic in a nearby cabaña. Once the Spiritual Adviser, Fr. Enrique Salen arrived around 11 am, the crowd was asked to gather around the Cancer Survivors while he prayed over them, anointed sacred oil on their foreheads and palms and prayed for those who were gone because of Cancer. Everyone lifted their hands in prayer over the survivors. It was a solemn ceremony and those presents there felt the spirituality of the event. This was followed by the most special and touching part of the day with Fr. Salen praying for all the Cancer survivors and the expired brethren due to Cancer while each one released either a red star shaped balloon for live survivor or white star shaped balloons for all those who died. Some of those present were so touched that you could see tears flowing down their cheeks as they gazed at the balloons fly off to the heavens. Fr. Salen then blessed the sumptuous meal when the balloons were nowhere in the blue sky. It was time to share all the food and drinks that the community brought.
It is a very memorable event that we hope to repeat every year to honor and celebrate all Cancer survivors and their families and caregivers. We hope to have more community participation in the next coming years. This organization is all about helping and sharing all those affected with Cancer so we hope the word will be out and spread among the Filipino community about this great organizations and its endeavors.
Cherry Sloan-Medrano
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