Staten Islanders: HealthFest2025 Brings Free CPR Training, Narcan Instruction, Important Screenings, Resources, NFL Legends To SIUH Community Park / Ferryhawks Stadium:UPDATED
HealthFest2025 Brings Free Screenings, Resources, NFL Legends To SIUH Community Park / Ferryhawks Stadium Tomorrow
Below is a slideshow of photos from the event taken by Sean Fitzpatrick:
Readers may remember our previous coverage of events related to healthy aging, including especially diet, exercise, and nutritional supplements to prevent heart disease and other conditions. This Senate Committee hearing discussed the importance of an exercise routine to maintain one’s desired level of independence as they age. This heating talked specifically about diet, focusing on plant based, whole food, and pescatarian options as being the best among those studied. In the next month, we’ll be providing more information about this important topic. As the old saying goes, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is especially true when considering ways to avoid surgeries and pharmaceuticals, both of which come with many inherent risks (surgical risks and medication side effects are very common and can be life threatening)..
Important Note: Performing CPR on someone can cause broken ribs. It is part of the risk. But broken ribs can heal, usually pretty quickly. Conversely, doing nothing substantially increases the risk of long term brain damage (if they survive) and death if there is too long of a time without oxygenated blood circulating through the arteries and veins. CPR makes the blood cycle around the body, bringing vital oxygen while more aggressive life-saving measures are prepared for (such as use of a defribrillator by the arriving EMTs, provision of oxygen with continuous rescuer CPR taken over by the EMTs in the ambulance, or surgery performed upon arrival at the hospital). That initial five to ten minutes while waiting for the ambulance can be the difference between life and death. Good Samaritan laws on the books in New York, New Jersey, and practically every other state protect you should the ribs be damaged while you are trying to save their life.
We asked the following questions of the event’s organizers. Questions in italics, answers in regular type:
Di you have any photos from previous years you can send?
Do you also have a more complete list of the screenings available? What is hands only CPR, and is this for lay persons? Who will be creating the healthy food for tastings, and what is the healthy food? Will it be plant based or pescatarian or something else?
Hands-Only CPR is CPR without rescue breaths. If you see a teen or adult collapse, you can perform Hands-Only CPR with just two easy steps
Call 911 [This is the most commonly forgotten things that should be done. You need the EMTs to arrive and take over from you and take them to the hospital] and
Push hard and fast in the center of the chest 100 – 120 times per minute. We always tell people push to the beat of the Bee Gee’s song “Stayin’ Alive” which has a beat of 100 beats per minute. And you do that until help arrives.
Right now, only 5% of people who experience a sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital survive because people are afraid to help or don’t know what to do. We have a campaign called the Nation of Lifesavers that has a goal to double out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival by 2030. We are changing bystanders into lifesavers, so the campaign is for laypeople.
Thank you for your questions and interest in HealthFest! This is our first year hosting the event, so we don’t yet have photos from past years to share.
The food will be prepared by the High School Culinary Arts program, with students creating healthy options and reimagined concession stand items. We’d like to cover this initiative and highlight how they are showcasing healthier takes on familiar foods.
For screenings, here’s a more complete list currently confirmed:
- Blood pressure
- Dental screenings
- Stop the Bleed training
- Mental health screenings and resources
- EKG
- Social Care screenings
- Diabetic retinal exams
- Sports injury / physical therapy demos
- Concussion testing
- Narcan training (English & Spanish)
- Hands-only CPR (for lay persons, focused on bystander response)
The healthy food tastings will include a variety of lighter, nutritious options. The menu will be finalized by the Culinary Arts program, with a focus on healthy adaptations of classic concession foods.
Join the American Heart Association at Staten Island’s Healthfest 2025.
Get ready for the biggest health celebration Staten Island has ever seen.
Staten Island HealthFest 2025 — Friday, Sept. 26 at the Ferry Hawks Stadium starting at 2 PM, is a free, high-energy community day with:
- NFL alumni appearances: Roman Oben, Kyle Richardson, Eric Olsen, Dominique Easley and Jay Alford
- Free health screenings (blood pressure, etc.)
- Back-to-school giveaways
- Healthy food tastings
- Family games, activities, and entertainment
- Hands-Only CPR (American Heart Association table)
Staten Island HealthFest 2025 is designed to break down barriers to care and show that preventive health can be accessible, community-driven, and even fun.
It’s the signature event of SiCLIP, a major public health effort led by Dr. Joseph Ravenell, aiming to screen 5,000 Staten Islanders by early 2026.
To register please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/staten-island-healthfest-2025-tickets-1493434385449
- Free blood pressure and health screenings
- A Health Passport for attendees who complete screenings, with chances to win raffles, free merchandise, and signed memorabilia
- Over 30 vendors offering a variety of workshops, health educational and sports medicine resources
- Education on concussion injuries and injury prevention offered by experts from Northwell/SIUH Orthopedic and surgical teams
- Healthy food tastings, games and activities, and opportunities to win free haircuts from SI CLIP barbershop partners
- Free EKG’s, Narcan, Stop the Bleed and CPR training
- Mental and Behavioral Health Resources
- Roman Oben – Super Bowl XXXVII Champion and current NFL Vice President of Football Development
- Eric Olsen – Former NFL offensive lineman (Broncos, Washington, Saints)
- Kyle Richardson – Former Ravens punter and Super Bowl XXXV Champion
- Jay Alford – Former Giants defensive tackle and Super Bowl XLII Champion
Staten Islander News Service Staff Writer
This byline indicates that this article was penned by a member/members of the Staten Islander News Organization office team. Our staff writers are the backbone of our newspaper, performing all sorts of important tasks like conducting interviews, investigating leads, besides writing the news stories you see.
[…] note: Readers may remember Healthfest 2025 from our coverage earlier this month. This incredible health fair brought together rescuer training, screenings and assessments, gourmet […]
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