From a helicopter to a bouncy obstacle course, event a day of activities

Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center will hold its 27th annual Healthy Kids Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. The free event, sponsored by the Mount Hood Medical Center Foundation and EPIC, will be held on the hospital’s campus at 24800 S.E. Stark St., Gresham.

“The Healthy Kids Fair lets kids learn about what we do in our hospital,” says Marcia Soderling, nurse executive at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. “We hope that learning about things like X-rays, casts and even surgery will help them feel a little more comfortable if they ever need to visit us for their care.”

A few of the event’s attractions are a Life Flight helicopter, an ambulance and a fire truck. Children will be able to explore and take tours of them. First responders will be on hand to answer questions. The Coast Guard will bring in “a big honkin’ boat,” says Julie Reed, Legacy Mount Hood spokeswoman. “It’ll be a pretty big deal; we haven’t had it out in a few years.” The boat is small response boat, also referred to as a RB-S.

Keep your kids active with the 50-foot bouncy obstacle course. Or let them walk out that pent-up energy with a 1k (about 2/3 of a mile) walk with the East County Windwalkers.

At the event bicycle, helmets will be on sale for $5 and snowboard helmets for $20. Oregon law states that children under the age of 16 must wear a helmet when bicycling, so drop by and pick up one.

There also will be technicians on hand to make sure your child’s car seat is installed and being used correctly. Did you know you can recycle old car seats? Bring unneeded car seats to the Healthy Kids Fair, and they will be recycled for free.

Bring in an injured teddy bear from home for repairs. Members of the Mount Hood Volunteer Guild will be equipped with needles and thread to bring injured teddy bears back to health. Children also will be able to try their hand at being doctors, using non-sharp objects to remove candy from Surgery Bear’s belly.

For more information, call 503-335-3500 or visit legacyhealth.org.