Beaufort Memorial to host free health-themed party
Do your body good. Join your friends for Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s Girls’ Night Out, a women’s wellness fair, only way more entertaining.
The free health-themed party, scheduled for Thursday, October 18 at The Shed in Port Royal, will feature music, games, food and prizes, along with important medical information designed to help women make informed decisions for themselves and their families.
“It’s fun and informative,” said Emily Harris, who is helping coordinate the event for the hospital. “We’re engaging women with activities they enjoy while providing them with tips that can help them lead healthier, happier lives.”
This year’s theme, “Be Dazzling” will cover breast care, nutrition, anti-aging and joint health. To make it more entertaining, the information will be presented in the form of games.
“Wheel of Bone & Joint Health” will feature a roulette wheel with various categories of questions related to orthopedic health. Participants who answer correctly will receive a prize.
The “Ta-Tas Toss” will focus on breast care. Women will answer a series of true or false questions by 
throwing a small pink bean bag into a cornhole board marked with “myth” or “fact.”
At the “Weigh Your Purse” station, women can find out just how much they carry around in their handbags. Physical and occupational therapists will be teaching exercises to relieve neck, shoulder and back pain caused by heavy pocketbooks.
A lingerie expert from Belk will be taking measurements and showing participants how a properly fitting bra can improve their posture and self esteem.
Hospital nutritionists will encourage participants to pick from a food display and determine good vs. bad choices. Wellness specialists will explain how many steps it takes to burn off calories taken in when eating your guilty pleasure treats.
One of the most popular stations at last year’s event featured breast models depicting a healthy breast and one with a simulated lump to give women a better idea of what to look for when they perform their monthly breast self-examinations.
BMH breast care coordinator Jackie Brown will be available to answer questions about screenings and diagnosis. Participants also will have the opportunity to schedule annual mammograms at either Beaufort Memorial Women’s Imaging Center in Beaufort or Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Medical Services.
In addition, a number of physicians will be on hand to discuss topics of interest, including local OB/GYNs, as well as vascular surgeon Dr. Chad Tober, general surgeons Drs. Perry Burrus and Deanna Mansker, internist Dr. Randy Dalbow, and orthopedist Dr. Ned Blocker.
Participants who visit each healthcare area will be eligible to win one of several grand prizes, including a Kate Spade handbag and wallet. Door prizes also will be awarded throughout the evening.
Girls’ Night Out is presented annually by a select group of American hospitals participating in Spirit of Women, a national initiative dedicated to women’s health education and community outreach.
Beaufort Memorial’s Girls Night Out takes place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18 at The Shed in Port Royal (809 Paris Avenue). Participants will receive two tickets for beer or wine. There is no admission fee, but preregistration is required. To register, visit www.bmhsc.org and look under the events calendar, or call 522-5585.
