For the second year, the McRae-Gaines Learning Center and Wallace Community College Selma are joining forces to promote a healthy lifestyle among the Selma community.

Known as Get Fit Selma! Health and Fitness Festival, the event is meant to deliver preventative resources to the residents of Dallas County area that will decrease the rate of diseases that plague the area. The health fair will be held Saturday, Sept. 27, from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Wallace Community College Selma.

“We’re trying to make it a little bigger and better this year,” event chair Stephanie Hamm said.

This year, the fair will have a 5K run, community fun walk, a jump rope contest, a basketball tournament for children ages 7 through 17 and much more with some help from Selma First Lady Jeannie Evans’ Let’s Move! Kid’s Challenge.

Health care professionals will be present to deliver health screenings and provide information for hypertension, Type II diabetes and obesity and other conditions.

‘Get Fit Selma! Health and Fitness Festival was first thought about in 2011 when the McRae-Gaines Learning Center Board of Directors were trying to come up with a fundraiser that would benefit their center, while benefiting the community in a unique way.

Hamm said she recognizes the advancement of technology has made it more appealing for children to stay in all day then to explore the outside world.

“They’re growing up in a period of time where getting out, running and kicking a ball is just not the first thing you think of, especially when you have televisions and things like that,” Hamm said.

Like last year, the proceeds from the event will benefit the McRae-Gaines Learning Center, which provides academic curriculum in reading, writing, math and science before students enter elementary school.

For more information, contact Hamm at 512-301-5029 or Cassandra Ford at 205-348-9933.