The Free Library of Philadelphia, American Heart Association, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will come together at Parkway Central Library on Saturday, February 18 in honor of American Heart Month to host We <3 Hearts: A Family Heart Health Day. The event that will feature programs and activities that promote heart health and wellness for all ages, including a family-friendly health fair, a healthy-heart cooking class, health screenings, and CPR Ready Hands-Only Training facilitated by Penn Medicine’s mobile CPR Project, which is sponsored by the Independence Blue Cross Foundation’s Healthy Hearts program.

The schedule for the day will be:

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Health Fair and Scavenger Hunt (Lobby)

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: Exercise/Zumba Class (Skyline Room, 4th Floor)

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Virtual Reality Research Opportunity (Room 108)

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Healthy Cooking Class with Chef Budd Cohen (Culinary Literacy Center, 4th Floor)

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Healthy Snacking Workshop (Skyline Room, 4th Floor)

12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.: CPR Ready Hands-Only Training (Skyline Room, 4th Floor)

12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.: AED (Defibrillator) Activity (Skyline Room, 4th Floor)

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.: CPR Ready Hands-Only Training (Skyline Room, 4th Floor)

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.: High Blood Pressure Workshop for Kids (Skyline Room, 4th Floor)

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Healthy Cooking Class with Chef Budd Cohen (Culinary Literacy Center, 4th Floor)

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Healthy Snacking Workshop (TBD)

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: High Blood Pressure Workshop and Check Up for Adults (Room 108)

The Free Library has made a particular effort in recent years to increase health information services for its customers, providing programming on a variety of topics for healthy living. A Healthcare Advisory Council of more than 30 leaders from local hospitals, universities, and provider organizations guides the Free Library in offering the most accurate, useful, and up-to-date information to the public. Partnerships arising from the council have made possible the Library’s foray into direct service care. Two clinically trained social workers provide social service help and resources to the homeless and other customers in need, and a registered nurse offers blood pressure screenings, flu shots, and other health advice and programming at Parkway Central Library.

#heartmonth