Onward and Upwards 2nd Annual One Health Festival
Contributed by Louissa Branchflower
Last year Onward & Upward hosted our inaugural “One Health Fest”; a festival centered around the concept of Onward & Upward’s core mission; One Health. One Health is at its heart, about promoting health and wellness through the interconnection of People, Place, Person, Planet, & Possibility. Last year’s festival was dedicated to our community’s frontline health care workers, who have been tirelessly and often thanklessly working through an incredibly stressful past few years. The festival was free and open to the public in downtown Palmer. We were able to give gifts of gratitude to health care workers and were told that even those who couldn’t make it were grateful for the intention and recognition.
Some feedback that we heard from healthcare workers included: “I just wanted to say thank you and how much I appreciated it. I stopped to see a friend who had a booth there and had no idea what I was walking into. I feel very appreciated as a nurse. It meant a lot.”, “It was SO wonderful. ♥♥♥ Loved nature journaling and laughing yoga. We all need more of that!”. And overheard from a giddy couple “Oh my goodness! I can’t believe they are celebrating the US!!”
We are excited to be back again this year for the second annual One Health Fest! It will take place Sunday, August 11th at the Palmer Depot in downtown Palmer. This year we will be celebrating EDUCATORS, many of whom have had a challenging couple of years, are underpaid, overworked, and often under appreciated. We want to show our educators a small token of appreciation by dedicating this year’s festival to them! They will be celebrated and given tokens of gratitude.
Join us for a free community event featuring a variety of activities for everyone. We're excited to offer workshops, live music performances by Braided River, Diana Z & Jim Lewin, and 3000-21, along with delicious food from Fish on Camp Grill for purchase. Enjoy refreshments, massages, and even try your hand at our climbing wall. Throughout the day, there will be numerous free sessions and activities such as yoga, 15-minute chair massages, tea making, arts and crafts, nature journaling, healing drum circles, and more. We're also thrilled to host community vendors focused on "One Health," including Chickaloon Native Village, Southcentral Foundation, APU Kellogg Farm, AK Dept of Fish & Game, Valley Center for Recycling Solutions, Mat-Su Rebuild, Mat-Su Trails & Parks Foundation, local farmers, and artisans. Come and join us for a day filled with fun, relaxation, and community engagement!
Onward & Upward is an AEE accredited, local 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to fostering a culture of One Health across Alaska, promoting sustainable practices through evidence-based action. We accomplish this by engaging our students in adventurous, inspiring, meaningful, and empowering experiences with varying degrees of challenge that are methodically designed for positive growth, and development. Course offerings are diverse- ranging from open enrollment summer adventure courses to year-round after-school and homeschool opportunities.
Visit our website at www.onwardandupward.org to find out more or email us at info@onwardandupward.org to see how we can customize a course for you!