The Community Outreach Coalition held its fourth annual health fair Sept 13 at the El Paso County fairgrounds in Calhan. Organizer Patty Jolly said the event was a big success, drawing about 315 people from Calhan and other rural areas.ìThere were lots of free goodies and tons of great information,î Jolly said. They expected about 60 vendors, and Jolly had to turn down a few who had applied. ìWe had about 49 show up due to a few no-shows, but all in all it was a great turnout. Sen. (Michael) Bennet sent a representative, Ann Oatman-Gardner, who is his (U.S. Senate) regional director, which was pretty cool.îJolly said plans for a fifth health fair are under way.ìIt is great exposure for the community to come see what is available to them,î she said. The heath fair not only educates the public about health services available to the community, but it is also a fundraising event for the Calhan Bulldogs Booster Club and the Calhan Alumni Association. The alumni association awards a $1,000-scholarship each year to a student in Calhan.ìWe try to coordinate with the school and plan the event during homecoming because it brings people to town,î Jolly said.For more information on the Community Outreach Center and upcoming events, call 719-347-7638 or visit http://coccenter.org.† Watch for information on the free income tax assistance program offered at the COC during the 2015 tax season.
