Avon, CO – The Avon Recreation Center is pleased to announce a new program to help the community stay fit and healthy. ARC will offer free blood screenings on the second Wednesday of every month from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. starting October 12th. “We have been working with the Vail Valley Medical Center on this wonderful program for the past year, and it has been a tremendous success at our facility. We look forward to offering a consistent day and time when the community can come to the Recreation Center for important blood screening,” said Danita Chirichillo, Fitness Supervisor for the Town of Avon.

Vail Valley Medical Center received a Cancer, Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease grant from Denver Health and Colorado Prevention Center to conduct FREE screens of uninsured and underinsured Eagle County resident for cholesterol, blood sugars, blood pressure, and body mass index to assess for cardiovascular risk. Test results include total cholesterol, breakdown of HDL, LDL, sugar levels, triglycerides, height and weight, and blood pressure. Results are immediate and will be discussed between you and the Community Health Advocate.

This program is offered on a first-come-first serve basis and individual consultation will take approximately 20 minutes. Participants should remember to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water the day before and fasting 10-12 hours prior to the screening as this will provide more accurate results.

Eagle County Public Health conducted a needs assessment of Eagle County residents in 2005 with multiple community partners. Despite being noted as a “healthy” County, the assessment revealed the number one cause of death among Eagle County residents was cardiovascular disease (CVD).

CVD is caused by risk factors such as diabetes, smoking, overweight/obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, life expectancy could be increased by seven years if all forms of cardiovascular disease were eliminated.

For additional information on the free blood screenings, please contact Claudia Hilty at (970) 471-3258.