Part of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes initiative, MedFest is a one-day health fair where children with intellectual disabilities can receive free sports physicals along with vision, dental and hearing screenings. All health workers involved in the MedFest screenings are properly trained and offer referrals for parents if they feel that a child needs further care.
The physical that the students receive meets the requirements necessary for participation in the Special Olympics sports programs. This removes a major hurdle that many athletes run into when they try to compete in Special Olympics.
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A student receives a dental exam at the 2006 MedFest in Louisville |
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“Like all other sports programs, it is important for our athletes to receive a physical so that they can be sure they are healthy enough to compete,” said Special Olympics Executive Vice President Trish Mazzoni.
“Unfortunately our population often has an especially difficult time accessing health care. That’s why MedFest is so important. It allows these children the opportunity to see medical professionals who are trained to handle their needs free of charge and gives them the boost they need to be able to compete and show the world how much they can accomplish through sports.”
Special Olympics Kentucky partners with a local school system to register participants and provide transportation during the school day. The program also partners with local medical organizations and individual medical professionals to provide the various screenings free of charge.
MedFest got its start in Kentucky in 2005 when Special Olympics Kentucky offered its first event in Lexington. Events have been held in Lexington and Louisville since that date
For more information or to receive the registration forms for an upcoming MedFest, please contact Melissa Hardison at 800-633-7403 or via e-mail at mhardison@soky.
Louisville — October 15, 2010; Slugger Field - More Information
