HEART FAIR 2012 – IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL HEART WEEK/WORLD HEART DAY
National Heart Week/World Heart Day (NHW/WHD) is an important annual community
education event aimed at increasing public awareness and promoting preventive measures to
reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke in Singapore. Heart disease and stroke are the
world’s leading causes of death, claiming 17.3 million lives every year.
The theme for this year’s NHW/WHD is a continuation of last year’s theme - “One World, One
Home, One Heart”, focusing on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention among women and
children. This is because women are the gatekeepers of the household and oversee the health
of their family by educating them about healthy habits and choosing what they eat. It is thus
crucial for women to be aware of the dangers of cardiovascular disease and its prevention
methods.
A key event of NHW/WHD was the annual 2-day Heart Fair; the site of the official launch of
National Heart Week/World Heart Day 2012. This year, the Heart Fair was held at Ngee Ann City
Civic Plaza on 29th and 30th September 2012. SHF was honoured to have Mr Gan Kim Yong,
Minister for Health and MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, grace us with his presence at the official
launch. Here are some key highlights of the event:
Jump For Joy Competition
To promote rope skipping as a way for children to lead an active lifestyle, 5 schools participated
in this year’s Jump for Joy Challenge 2012 event. They were:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Zhangde Primary School
Pei Chun Public Primary School
Northland Primary School
Geylang Methodist Primary School
Damai Primary School
A total of 40 skippers participated in the competition, and the teams were judged on the
number of skips they could achieve in 30 minutes within the marked designated area. The steps
were counted by counters designated to each team. With music blaring and fans cheering, the
teams from the 5 schools skipped to the rhythm of ropes spinning over their heads and under
their feet. Rope skipping is not only suitable for competitions or recreation, but is also a great
cardiovascular workout.
The winner of the Jump For Joy Challenge 2012 was Zhangde Primary School. First runner-up
was Pei Chun Public Primary School and second runner-up was Northland Primary School,
followed by Geylang Methodist Primary School and Damai Primary School. Together, these
schools clocked an impressive 8,243 skips within 30 minutes!
Mass Blood Pressure Awareness & Measurement
This year, SHF was honoured to have our very own young heart ambassadors from Gan Eng
Seng Primary School and Zhangde Primary School to assist in conducting free blood pressure
measurements for the public. Minister for Health, Mr Gan Kim Yong and the public were visibly
impressed with the knowledge and skills of the students doing the blood pressure screenings.
It is our hope that the children will pass on the knowledge and skills to their family members
and friends. Special thanks also goes out to Anchor Green Primary School for supporting
NHW/WHD by holding a similar “Free Blood Pressure Screening by young Anchorlites” at
Anchorvale Community Centre. The goal was to enable the Primary 5 pupils to apply their
recently acquired knowledge on blood pressure as a form of service learning to the community.
The success of the event would not have been possible without the support of the participating
schools’ volunteer teachers, students, as well as those from Townsville Primary School, who all
believe that indeed, Blood Pressure Matters!
Nutrition Quiz
This year, a total of about 900 individuals visited the SHF Nutrition Corner to participate in two
interactive nutrition quizzes on heart disease and high blood pressure. Participants had to
answer six questions in one minute. For their efforts, they gained new knowledge about heart
disease and hypertension. To thank them for their participation, they were also rewarded with
a fruit, and a salt or fat poster. Those who scored four or more correct answers proceeded to
spin a wheel to win attractive prizes.
SHF Booth
To spread the message of heart health, the SHF booth sold items like the Hearty Delights
cookbook, the Heart Disease & High Blood Pressure Smarts Quizzes CD and Pan Salt, to raise
funds for our outreach programmes. There was also a lucky draw to encourage members of the
public to ‘Like’ us on Facebook, ‘Follow’ us on Twitter, sign up for our heartline newsletter
subscription or join our e-mailing list. By doing so, one would be able to receive the latest
updates on SHF happenings and heart health information.
Public Health Screening
In line with our objectives to encourage people to be aware of their heart health, SHF offered a
cardiac risk assessment health screening for the 2nd consecutive year. The screening consisted
of measurement of body mass index (BMI), blood pressure check, fasting lipids and glucose
test, and waist circumference for only $5. We also had Mount Alvernia Hospital to assist with
the screening and pharmacists from Guardian Health and Beauty to provide counseling at the
end of the screening. A 10-year Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) risk estimation was given to
each health screening participant after 3 weeks, when the results of the blood tests were made
known. We also conducted talks to explain to participants what the CAD risk estimation meant.
Art Competition
A total of 66 children from ages 7 to 12 participated in the SHF World Heart Day Art
Competition 2012. The theme for the competition was “One World, One Home, One Heart”.
Participants were encouraged to use crayons as their medium for their art pieces. Among all the
beautiful art pieces, Teoh Yong Han, age 7, managed to top the competition with her
outstanding entry, winning herself a $300 prize hamper (including a 2 days/1 night stay at Pasir
Ris Costa Sand Resort worth $89, sponsored by NTUC). Our silver award, worth $250 went to
Melissa Mak Ziqi, age 10. Neo Min Hui, age 11, received our bronze award worth $200.
4 consolation gifts were given to Annissa Ong Qian Ying, age 7; B. Deebika, age 10; Lee Jia Zhen
Glynnis, age 10; and Wong Ming Yan, age 11. Each of them went home with a “Your Heart
Matters” book and a pedometer. To thank them for their efforts, all children who participated
in the competition went home with a goodie bag each.
Stage Programmes
There were non-stop stage activities such as home fitness exercise demonstrations, lively
performances, cardiologist and nutritionist talks, games and quizzes on heart health.
Some of the key highlights at the event included an interesting Indian Bhangra dance right
before the launch of NHW/WHD. An Indian Yoga instructor, Master Anant from True Yoga, also
demonstrated yoga moves that members of the public could try at home.
For the third year in a row, SHF collaborated with Natasha Studios to organise the ‘Heartbeat
2012 Street Dance Showcase Competition’. This exciting segment was a crowd puller, with
booming upbeat music and exhilarating dance moves. Certainly a fantastic finale to Heart Fair
2012!