More Than 2,000 Seniors Expected at the 4th Annual Healthy Living Festival at Oakland’s Lake Merritt

Alameda County residents over 60 years of age are continuing their efforts to be among the healthiest in California as they get ready to attend the 4th Annual Healthy Living Festival which includes a health resource fair with more than 60 health-related exhibitors and a walk-a-thon around Lake Merritt. Organized by United Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County, this year’s Festival will be held on July 20th and is made possible by a generous grant from Kaiser Permanente.

Festival registration begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Lake Merritt Garden Center and Bandstand (666 Bellevue Avenue) followed by a Health Resource Fair and a Tai Chi Demonstration at 9:15 a.m. The walk-a-thon begins at 10:00 a.m. with all activities scheduled to conclude by 2:00 p.m.

“This year’s Festival will be our largest yet with more than 2,000 seniors expected to attend,” said Nate Miley, Alameda County Supervisor-District 4 and Executive Director of United Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County. “With an increasing number of baby boomers in Alameda County, it’s imperative for us to reach out to people over 60 and celebrate the importance of healthy living,” added Miley. “The Festival is the largest event of its kind in the county and seniors rely on it because it’s a fun event that provides trusted and reliable information about health and physical activity. Last year, we had about 1,700 people attending the Festival and 800 people participating in the walk-a-thon around Lake Merritt.”

Some of the organizations participating in the health resource fair include Kaiser Permanente, Alta-Bates Summit Medical Center, Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education, Alameda County Medical Center, UC Berkeley Traffic Safety Center, Alameda County Meals on Wheels, local farmer’s markets, senior service providers as well as community-based organizations dedicated to improving healthy lifestyles in Alameda County.

According to Miley, one of the new features added to this year’s Festival is a special raffle with proceeds benefiting Alameda County Meals on Wheels and United Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County. The raffle’s grand prize is two tickets on Southwest Airlines.

Additionally, the Festival receives a broad cross section of support from its Honorary Committee that includes: Barbara Lee, U.S. Congress Member, 9th District of California, Pete Stark, U.S. Congress Member, 13th District of California, Don Perata, Senate President Pro Tempore, Alberto Torrico, California Assembly Member, 20th District, Mary Hayashi, California Assembly Member, 18th District, Pam Moore, News Anchor, KRON-TV, and Dennis Richmond, Anchor, KTVU Channel 2.

USOAC is a grassroots, multi-ethnic, intergenerational, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for the elderly. The organization represents more than 4,000 members in Oakland and Alameda County. During the past several years, USOAC has taken a holistic approach to healthy living and successful aging while undertaking an array of projects that improve the quality of life for senior and disabled persons. More information about the festival is available online at www.usoac.org/hlf.