Smack dab in the middle of winter. That’s when the Live Well summit takes place in Chatham.
The event, put on by the May Court Club of Chatham, is a full-day affair designed to recharge the batteries of local women.
Lee Anne Caldwell Polowick of the club said Live Well evolved out of a conversation she and several other members had with exercise class instructors earlier this year.
“We thought, ‘How can our club give back to the women in our community?’ I thought January is the month where everyone kind of has the blues after the holidays. The event is a good way for women in our community to get back on track,” she said. “We women are the glue that holds our families together. We need to take care of ourselves.”
Karen DeKoning, president of the May Court Club of Chatham, agreed.
“We are pleased to have this opportunity to provide local women with a variety of great options to help preserve or enhance their health and to start off the New Year on a healthy and positive note,” she said in a release.
As a result, the club is offering a full day focused on women’s health at the WISH Centre in Chatham from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan 14. Keynote speakers include Dr. Lalit Clawla, speaking on happiness and wellness; Dr. Jamie Richards, discussing how to balance your hormones; Tegan Vermey on back and pelvic health; and Ashley Srokosz on how to be more energetic.
As well, there will be mini-fit classes for Walkfit, Zumba, mindful movement meditation, strength training, and Nia.
“We’ve got a dynamic group of speakers and instructors. It’s going to be an exhilarating day,” Polowick said.
She encourages people to dress to participate.
There will also be a personal safety demonstration with a special constable of the Chatham-Kent Police Service, as well as a cooking demo put on by dieticians.
On top of that, there will be about two dozen health and wellbeing exhibitors on hand. In fact, there’s a waiting list of exhibitors anxious to be part of the event.
The people who have signed up are from a diverse background, Polowick said.
There will be massage therapists, reflexologists, foot care specialists, naturopaths and more on hand.
“We’ve tried to pick something from every sector. It’s about mind, body and spirit,” she said. “We just were trying to think of all the different areas of women’s health to make it a well-rounded day.”
Tickets are $40 each, and that includes lunch provided by Z’s Bistro, with a vegan component from Eat What’s Good.
There will also be a smoothie bar and breakfast available for purchase as well.
Tickets are available at the Chatham-Kent YMCA, Purple Pansy, ICU Auto Glass, Woodall’s Physiotherapy, Alexander & Houle Funeral Home, the Wallaceburg Wellness Centre, and Life by Design Centre in Blenheim.
For more information, check out the livewellck.com website, or visit maycourtchatham.ca.
Live Well is a fundraiser for the May Court Club, with the proceeds going back into the many school programs it runs. Last year, the club spent $36,500 in groceries to feed students in the club’s Emergency Lunch Box (ELB) program that’s in 26 schools across Chatham-Kent, as well as its breakfast program at Queen Elizabeth II School in Chatham.
“We know how grateful they are and how it is appreciated,” Polowick said of the students who use the program, their parents and their teachers. “We’re giving healthy food. And it’s the healthy food that costs the money.”
Polowick acknowledges there are other nutrition and breakfast programs at various schools in the municipality, stressing the May Court programs don’t overlap any of them.
“We’re filling a gap. What we do in the community is something nobody else is doing,” she said.
Polowick said the ELB program is open to any students at participating schools. She said teachers tend to know the children who come to school with very little in their lunches, so they can steer students to the program.
As well, the ELB is in more than just elementary schools, she added.
“As far as I’m concerned, the kids in the high schools need access to our program as much as the kids in the elementary school programs,” she said. “If they have a sibling in elementary school, they will often make sure the younger one gets any available food from home first.”
The May Court Club is busy in Chatham-Kent. Aside from the ELB and breakfast programs, the club has donated to the women’s centre, Ontario Early Years, Access Canada – Open Minds, and the VON Kids’ Circle.
