The African American Male Wellness Walk is Saturday, Aug. 19, at Wade Oval, located at 10820 East Blvd.
The National African American Male Wellness Initiative is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It was created to encourage men to be proactive in terms of their health, help them live longer and close the health equity gap.
The President of the African American Male Wellness Agency, Kenny Hampton, appeared on Good Morning Cleveland Sunday morning.
“For 20 years, we've been able to screen hundreds of thousands of men across this country who have walked around not knowing what's going inside their bodies," Hampton said. "But at our events, they learn their numbers, and they're able to make some changes if needed for them to live longer. We know more about what’s going on inside of our vehicles than what’s going on inside of our bodies. And we’re wanting to change that."
The free event features the 5K walk and a variety of health screenings, including blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, HIV, STD/STI and prostate cancer. Vendors, a kid's zone, and live entertainment are also planned.
“We’re the clinic to the community. Our organization is excited to take the edge off of our men learning what's going on inside of their bodies,” said Kenny Hampton, president of the African American Male Wellness Agency. “It's all for us to encourage our men to take a second, pause life and get a health screening, learn your numbers (and) find out what's going on inside of your body.”
Hampton had this advice for anyone who may be on the fence about showing up and participating.
“This is the most fun you'll ever have at a doctor's appointment," he said. “Many of us are dying in the hands of preventable diseases, things that if we caught him earlier, we could have a fighting chance of extending our life expectancy.”
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