Calhoun County Held First Children’s Wellness Fair
The event at Full Blast Recreation Center focused on lead poisoning prevention for Battle Creek residents.
Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Health and Wellness
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Calhoun County hosted its inaugural Children's Health & Wellness Fair on October 10, 2026, at the Full Blast Recreation Center. The event aimed to promote lead poisoning prevention through public education and soil testing.
Why it matters
The fair addresses the significant risk of lead exposure in Calhoun County, where 75% of residential properties were constructed before 1921. Proactive testing and education efforts are key to mitigating health risks in these older homes.
Official data indicates that 75% of homes in the county were built before 1921, creating a high-risk environment for lead exposure. The event utilized the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services SoilSHOP to process samples.
The players
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
This state agency oversees public health programs and provided lead testing services through its SoilSHOP initiative.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
This federal department provides the grant funding for the Lead Hazard Reduction Program used to support the public education campaign.
The details
The event featured various educational tables and provided residents with the opportunity to submit soil samples for lead analysis. The initiative is supported by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Lead Hazard Reduction Program.
Timeline
The Calhoun County Children's Health & Wellness Fair occurred on October 10, 2026.
About 75% of county homes were constructed before 1921.
The wellness fair is scheduled to occur annually every October until 2029.
The Big Picture
The fair functions as a local implementation of the objectives established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Lead Hazard Reduction Program.
Residents living in homes built before 1921 can better manage their domestic environment by utilizing soil testing resources to identify lead hazards. These preventative measures assist families in reducing exposure risks for children in older housing.
The takeaway
Proactive testing of soil and home environments is a critical step for families living in older housing stock to identify potential lead contamination. Residents should monitor local health department announcements to participate in future annual screening events.
What happens next
Organizers have committed to hosting the Children's Health & Wellness Fair annually every October through 2029.
Further reading
Learn more about local initiatives at the Health and Wellness section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WWMT.
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