Yes!  One of the true signs that Spring is on the way in northwestern Vermont is the St. Albans Rotary’s “Home and Recreation Expo.”  This year, the event will feature over 150 vendors spanning the entire range of home and recreation needs and interests – typically including everything from tractors and gardening, to backyards and patios, to furniture and home improvements, to boats and vehicles, to fitness and activities, to shops and organizations. This year’s Home and Recreation Expo is the 26^th show hosted by our local Rotarians with presenting sponsor HandyCars.Com and gold sponsors Northwestern Urgent Care and Efficiency Vermont.  It is billed as “Vermont’s Biggest” and is not to be missed.  This year’s event will be held at the Collins Perley Sports and Fitness Center on Friday, March 16 (2pm to 7pm); Saturday, March 17 (9am to 5pm); and Sunday, March 18 (9am to 3pm).  Admission is free!  Please come out and join us!

The Rotary Home and Recreation Expo is a wonderful way to explore so many of the things which make our local community and economy vibrant all together at once as thoughts turn to Spring.  NMC will be there this year as part of collaborative focus on ‘transitions of care’ with our partners including Franklin County Home Health Agency, Age Well, and many of the area nursing homes, rehab centers, and community care homes. There will be staff at our shared booth to help people walk through common scenarios faced by individuals as they age or confront family health challenges.  We will offer information and guidance about what resources are available to help them.  By understanding options in advance of a need or crisis, individuals and their loved ones can make more informed choices and decisions. We are fortunate to have strong services available locally to help individuals live well in a variety of settings and we work together on a daily basis for smooth integrated transitions. Our team and our partners look forward to the opportunity to talk to you so you can be better informed of resources and options in hopes that this will help if you or a loved one come to a point where you need care and assistance.

The RiseVT team will be there as well, offering two sessions of wonderfully engaging active play for all ages – on Friday, March 16 from 5pm to 7pm and on Saturday, March 17 from 10am to Noon.  Dr. Elisabeth Fontaine, NMC’s Medical Director of Lifestyle Medicine and RiseVT, will be at the event giving ‘playscriptions’ to build a bit of play into your life. State surveys show that many residents of our community do not pause on a regular basis to enjoy physical activity during their leisure time – and research shows individuals are healthier if they do!  That’s where active play comes in. Invest a few minutes of time on a regular basis into something you love: walking the dog, dancing, hiking, tag with the kids, biking, paddling, frisbee, skating, skiing, golfing, swimming — the options are endless.  Play can make such a difference in your energy level, mood, and physical health. Members of the RiseVT team will be hosting some rousing active play (including the now-famous ‘booty scoot,’ the always popular bean-bag toss and jump rope challenges, and more!). RiseVT will be in the racquetball court area just as you enter Collins Perley during those two sessions. Please stop by, get your playscription, and join in the fun!  To learn more about RiseVT, the exciting movement to embrace healthy lifestyles which started here in our community through a partnership between NMC and the local district office of the Vermont Department of Health, visit www.RiseVT.org!

It is wonderful to live in a community where there is always something going on with recreation, the arts, events, and more.  The Rotary Home and Recreation Expo is one that I enjoy and I give my time to, because it supports important work that makes our community even stronger.  I hope you will mark your calendars and come to the event on March 16 (2pm to 7pm); Saturday, March 17 (9am to 5pm); and Sunday, March 18 (9am to 3pm).  Please come and enjoy, as this truly shows that Spring is on its way!

— Jill Berry Bowen, NMC’s Chief Executive Officer