Organizers of the upcoming Aviation, Health and Safety Fair at Naval Air Station Meridian promise the event will be educational as well as fun.

Set for Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the fair will be held in the hangar on board the base.

This year’s theme is “The Sky is the Limit with Good Health.” The general public is invited to attend. Admission to the fair is free, and door prizes will be given away. Food booths will serve pizza, barbecue, hamburgers and snow cones.

“We will have more than 60 combined aviation, health and safety exhibits with hands-on activities for adults and children,” said Shelley Atwood, a registered nurse and health promotions director at NAS Meridian Branch Health Clinic.

“Several schools in the area also have planned field trips to the fair.”

In the six years the base has hosted the fair, the number of organizations participating has nearly tripled. Friday marks the event’s seventh year.

“For the first couple of years, we just focused on health. Last year was our first year to add safety-related issues,” Atwood said. “This year we’re including aviation.”

This year’s event will feature special appearances by two local war heroes: Thomas Hamill of Macon, who will autograph his book, Escape from Iraq, and Col. Tom Collins, an Air Force veteran and former Vietnam-era prisoner of war. The Lauderdale County Veterans Association is sponsoring their appearances.

“We have the chance to show two very different men that both have had harrowing experiences and who both have overcome two very different wars,” Atwood said. “We are very excited to have them as part of this event.”



Other highlights



Pilots from Training Squadron 7 and Training Squadron 9 will greet children and adults. Two T-45C “Goshawks” will be set up for viewing. Children will be allowed to climb inside the jet and try on a flight suit, helmet and goggles.

L3-Vertex, a T-45C maintenance contractor at NAS Meridian, will display information about hearing conservation and safety.

Rolls Royce, an aircraft engine contractor, will display an actual aircraft engine in its booth.

NAS Meridian’s Fire Department will bring out one of its fire trucks, and the Branch Health Clinic will allow spectators to climb inside an ambulance.

“To me, what is exciting is seeing children get a chance to experience things such as sitting in a cockpit, dressing like a pilot or a fireman. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many children,” Atwood said. “We want them to get in the ambulance and learn what it means. This will help them lose their fear of medical personnel.”

Representatives of the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy will bring out two “OH-58” Observation Helicopters — one of the helicopters is being flown in from the Mississippi National Guard base in Jackson; the other is a stationary helicopter that children can climb in. Also on display will be a glass cockpit computerized Cessna for viewing and photos. The Cessna is being flown in from the Civil Air Patrol in Gulfport.



Health exhibits



More than 60 local organizations will have booths focusing on health issues, including the American Cancer Society, screening, education and preventive treatment for many types of cancer; the American Red Cross, disaster preparation kits; East Mississippi Electric Power Association, electrical safety display; American Lung Association, lung disease education, prevention and treatment options; and NAS Meridian Commissary, healthy food presentation with samples.

Meridian’s hospitals will have booths.

Riley Hospital will bring its stroke team care unit; Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center’s booth will provide informative information on diabetes education and blood glucose screenings; and representatives from Rush Foundation Hospital will provide blood pressure screenings and education. Regency Hospital and Alliance Health Center will also set up booths.

Rebecca Gentry of the city of Meridian will be on hand to talk about retiree services in the area, and Cindy Kane of Silverleaf Manor will discuss Alzheimer’s education.

Representatives of the Mississippi Highway Patrol will demonstrate “fatal vision goggles.”

Project Katrina Recovery from Weems Mental Health Agency will provide resources, information and referrals to those still in need of assistance.



Penny Randall is a public affairs assistant on board Naval Air Station Meridian.



WANT TO GO?



What: Aviation, Health and Safety Fair — featuring more than 60 exhibits and special appearances by Thomas Hamill, former hostage in Iraq, and Col. Tom Collins, former prisoner of war.

When: Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where: Naval Air Station Meridian hangar

Admission: Free, and the public is invited.

Information: Call Shelley Atwood at (601) 679-2209 or Kelsey Woodard at (601) 679-2218.